New Horizons
by PandoraBear
Summary: Gabriella is a young hybrid trying to escape an ominous clan of vampires who ruined her life. She meets the Cullens and their favorite shapeshifter along her journey to find her brother. A tale of devotion, trust, and true love. Jacob/OC Post Breaking Dawn
1. Chapter 1: A New Life

Author's Note: This idea has been in my head for well over a year now! Finally decided to get off of my ass and write it:) Hope you enjoy it and pretty please review:D Oh and as a side note, currently this story is rated T, but in the future, that could change to M:)

**Disclaimer: **I do not own twilight nor the characters affiliated with it. I do however own my original characters and the right to toy with their world :)

**New Horizons**

Chapter 1: A New Life

_Don't tell me if I'm dying c__ause I don't want to know_

_If I can't see the sun, maybe I should go_

_Don't wake me cause I'm dreaming of angels on the moon_

_Where everyone you know, never leaves too soon._

_~Angels on the Moon-Thriving Ivory_

* * *

><p>Moonlight spilled through the trees and into the clearing. A gentle breeze blew my golden hair slightly, causing the gossamer tips to skim across the freshly dewed grass. My bare feet hung in the crystal waters of the river that flowed by me.<p>

I knew this was coming. It would have to happen sometime. I took a deep breath and turned my gaze to the reflection staring at me through the water. I had avoided all mirrors and reflective surfaces to elude seeing myself for the past month and a half. I was no longer the Gabby I used to be. The energetic, carefree girl was gone. All that is left of me is an empty shell of the person I used to be. The hair I used to be so proud of has grown a few inches and is now mangled and dull. My green eyes are glassy and hollow and my expression is one I don't recognize. It's one of hatred and bitterness.

No longer was I the naïve girl who believed there was good in everyone. I knew now that trust was a luxury I couldn't afford to give. I had to make things right by myself. Stand on my own two feet and solve my own problems.

Pulling my feet out of the river, I wrapped my arms around my legs and pulled them close to my chest. I was my only comfort now. My mom and brother would never be with me again.

A tear forced its way out of my eye and down my cheek. I quickly tried to wipe it away with the sleeve of my flannel shirt, but they continued to flow relentlessly. At least I was alone and could cry in peace.

All of the tears I had been holding back exploded from me. The emotions I had pent up inside were spilling out like water from a broken dam. My family was gone. My old life was over. Things would never be the same.

I quickly reached inside of the duffel bag filled with things I had managed to hastily grab from my old home before I left for good. I dug around through the sweatshirts and jeans until I reached my sketchbook.

I flipped through the worn pages of charcoals, paintings, and sketches until I settled on the piece of canvas that I was looking for.

My mother was frozen in one of her beautiful smiles with my brother and me embracing her from either side. Our cheeks were pressed together and our identical blonde hair intertwined with each others'. I meant to give it to her as a Mother's Day present, but now, it was the only picture I had of her and Roman.

The tears were really coming now. One slid off my cheek and onto the thick paper, staining one of the corners, spreading slowly, like champagne on a white carpet.

My body was shaking now, raked with sorrow and grief that had taken almost two months to finally hit me.

I didn't know what I was doing out here in the middle of a forest. I didn't know where I was going. The only thing I was certain of was that I needed to get away. I had to escape the vampires that murdered my family.

I laid my head onto my duffel bag, using it as a make-shift pillow. My eye lids grew heavier the longer I tried to keep them open. Slowly, they shut, and with my cheeks still wet from my tears, I fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p>"Gabriella."<p>

I shot upwards at the sound of my name floating through the woods. I spun my head wildly in all directions, searching for the speaker.

"Gabriella," it repeated. The sound was barely a whisper, but with my hybrid senses, it might as well have been a scream. The voice was masculine, and was surrounding me. I felt the fine hairs on my body begin to rise, and my bird-like heart beat thudded wildly in my ear.

Quickly, I grabbed my bag and the worn pair of converse shoes still sitting by the river and stood upward.

A twig snapped in the forest behind me.

I let my defensive instincts kick in. I took a bounding leap forward and flung myself across the wide river, landing on the muddy bank with a thud. As soon as my feet hit the ground, I was running. Fleeing my pursuer as fast as my body would allow. The branches tore at my jeans and flannel shirt as I flew by, but barely left a blemish on my skin.

Just behind me, I could make out the even breathing of someone. He made no other noises. The breathing became louder until I could almost _feel_ it on the back of my head. A sense of terror flooded my body.

I pumped my legs harder, urging my body to go faster. My heels were digging deep into the ground as I attempted to escape.

"Gabriella," the man said. His voice was at my ear and I let a shriek escape my lips. His body crashed into mine with the sound of two boulders colliding, and I hit the ground, smacking the side of my head on a rock. I moaned loudly as the pain seeped through my skull.

A pair of blaringly white hands flipped me onto my back. I closed my eyes tight. I didn't want to see the face of the man who was going to kill me.

"Look at me, Gabby," he said. His tone of voice was even and collected, but I knew that would be changing in a matter of seconds.

I did nothing.

He sighed loudly. "Just like your brother then, are we?" Before his words registered in my brain, his fist smacked my face, on my left cheekbone. My head violently flew to the side, and I bit my lip hard to keep myself from crying. I tasted blood trickling inside my mouth.

One of his hands grabbed my face, lifting my body up until I was sitting. "Open. Your. Eyes," he spat.

Reluctantly, I did what he said. Not out of obedience, but because I wanted to see the monster who could hurt innocent people for no reason.

He had cropped black hair that was slicked back against his skull. Some of his bangs had become loosened in our encounter, and hung down his forehead. But the thing that held my attention was his eyes. They glistened bright red against the whiteness of his skin and the blackness of the night around us. There was no mercy in them. Only the intent of killing his prey was present.

"Finally. I've caught you," he muttered, almost to himself. "It's been a month and a half. You sure put up a fight."

I didn't say anything. I didn't need to. By my heavy breathing and flared nostrils, he knew that I hated him with my whole being.

"It really is a pity," he said quietly. Two of his frozen fingers moved down the length of my cheek. "Such a waste of beauty."

How dare he talk to me like that. After what he did to my family? I spit in his face, getting my message across.

He released his grip on my face and I fell back to the ground. He wiped my saliva off of his chin and stood up.

I knew the end was near. Death was at my feet. I tried to push myself up and run, but he grabbed my right ankle and yanked me back toward him, almost pulling it out of socket.

"Somebody help me!" I shrieked into the night. I knew the chances of someone hearing me were slim, but I didn't care. I just wanted him away from me.

"No body's coming," he scoffed coldly. "It's just me and you in this forest." He straightened my right leg out. I tried yanking it out of his grasp, but he tightened his grip around my ankle.

"This might hurt a bit." A smile played around his snowy lips.

He reeled his foot back and stomped down onto my outstretched leg in less than a second. I didn't have to hear the deafening crack to know that my leg was broken.

I screamed. My fingers dug into the ground as if it would make the pain go away. The stinging in my leg worsened, and I could see red liquid pooling around my ankle.

The man froze when he saw my blood on the forest floor. His fingers slowly dipped into the pool, crimson red on pure white. He stared at his bloody hands for only half a second before he was licking the blood off of them desperately. But that small amount of time gave me a glimpse of the desire and lust he had for _my _blood. A hybrid's blood.

Within a matter of seconds, he had devoured all of my blood off of his hands. He turned his head toward mine in a quick snapping gesture. His eyes were a vibrant hue of scarlet that I had never before seen on a vampire. Like rubies against snow.

Before I could protest, his arms were holding me up. I fought with all the strength in my muscles, but he was stronger than before. More determined. It was as if my blood supplied him with all the energy in the world, enough to take down the Volturi himself. His hand clenched around my upper arms, securing me in an upright position like iron clasps.

I squirmed and tried to wiggle out of his grasp, but I couldn't move an inch.

"You should be grateful, Gabriella." His voice drifted into the woods, a soft, almost lyrical sound that reverberated through my skull. "I'm giving you a proper death. This was the purpose of your kind."Blood was smeared across his chin. He had the appearance of a ravaging animal.

"Get to hell," I spat back. I knew that my death was imminent, but a small flicker of hope still blazed inside of me, hoping for something to save me.

In less than a second, I felt his teeth clamp down on my neck.

A stinging pain filled me suddenly and was slowly replaced with a burning one. I could feel the flames slowly make their way through my body, searing away my last bit of humanity.

I bit my lip hard to stifle the scream that was threatening to escape my lips.

He guzzled my blood greedily, taking in huge amounts at a time. I was losing my warmth. Cold spread across my limbs. My vision was becoming hazy.

I let my eyelids droop shut. I didn't want to witness my own death.

My thoughts drifted back to my family. Roman and my mother would be waiting for me, on the other side. At least I would see my family again.

My heart beat was slowing. It's usual bird-like thrum was now almost non-existent.

I love you, I thought to my dead family. My mind was abruptly surrounded in a luminous light. It filled my senses; it was all I could think about.

A face began to come into focus. A blonde boy with green eyes.

It was Roman. My brother. My twin.

_Am I dead? _I thought.

He shook his head, a slight smile on his face.

_Neither am I, Gabby. _His mouth sounded so full of warmth. It almost hurt to hear his voice again. I knew it was a hallucination, but I still was amazed at the clarity that I was seeing him.

_Roman, tell mom I'll be seeing you guys in a little bit._ I knew it wouldn't be long before I crossed over.

His expression became worried. He was talking more frantically. _Gabriella this is real. I need your help. _

I thought for a moment. Then I remembered my brother's telepathy.

Hope surged through me. Roman was alive. He was alive and needed me to save him.

Suddenly, the vampire's teeth relinquished my throat. I fell to the ground with a thud, landing on my side. The burning sensation was still there. It lingered, even after his presence was gone.

"Carlisle!" a voice said in the distance.

I heard two bodies slamming into one another, the sound of thunder rolling through the sky. A thump followed soon after.

I opened my eyes and saw that my attacker was pinned to the ground by another vampire.

Then I remembered the pain filling my body. It had reached most parts of me. I felt like I was burning alive. A whimper escaped my lips and my hands clenched together, nails cutting through my skin.

The black-haired vampire was hissing hysterically now. He managed to throw the vampire that tackled him against a tree, but another one caught him by surprise.

This was my chance to escape. With blurry vision, I tried to push myself off of the ground, but quickly fell back down.

There was a screeching metallic sound. Then another, and another. The smell of burning metal filled my nostrils and an orange haze blazed upwards.

"Carlisle, help the girl. I can handle this."

A hazy figure with blonde hair was quickly by my side.

Fear filled me. This vampire may have saved my life, but he was still _one of them. _

"Edward," he called out. "She's lost a lot of blood. And she was bitten."

The red-haired vampire was soon at my side as well. "How is that possible?"

Carlisle shook his head. "I don't know. But we need to get the venom out of her as soon as possible. She's changing fast."

"I'll do it." The one called Edward's face was solemn. "Just like Bella," he almost whispered.

Cold fingers wrapped themselves gently around my own. "You're going to be okay," Carlisle said in a low voice. "You're safe now."

My eyes turned towards his. They burned a piercing topaz color. The color of honey.

"Safe?" I asked in a small voice, confused by his words and his eyes.

He nodded, keeping a grasp around my hand.

For the second time that night, I felt a vampire's mouth on my neck.

I started shaking. I tried screaming, but my throat was so coarse no sound escaped.

The sensation was different this time. His teeth weren't cutting through my skin.

But my blood was still filling his mouth.

"It's okay," Carlisle said, his hand still holding mine. "He's helping you."

The forest around me began to fade out of my sight. The world was becoming blurry. And I had nowhere to run.

Slowly, my surroundings faded out of sight, and I succumbed to the darkness that engulfed me.

* * *

><p>Please read and review! Love to know what you guys think! also if you want to check out outfits of Gabby and what the characters look like, please go to .comprofile/PandoraBear12. The scroll down to albums and the things that have been introduced so far in the story should be there! :)


	2. Chapter 2: A New Beginning

**Chapter 2: A New Beginning**

"_Come__take me home tonight__  
><em>_Come take__me home__  
><em>_Oh I need you now__  
><em>_I'm__lost without you__  
><em>_A million miles but I will find you__  
><em>_So take__me home"_

_~Home-Goo Goo Dolls_

I'm running.

My hair is whipping behind me in a long streak of gold while I race towards my family's cottage in our secluded meadow.

My bare feet pound into the earth, heels digging in deep. My breathing stays calm and focused.

I'm zipping through the trees along a beaten-down trail that I know well.

I round the pine tree with the fork in its gnarly branches, and I scream. Adrenaline fills my body in an instant.

There's a hole right in front of me, in the middle of the forest floor, threatening to swallow me into it's depths. My body begins to fall forward. My momentum was too great to catch myself from freefalling.

I wait for the moment when my stomach flies into my throat, but it never comes. My palms hit soil and I inhale deeply, relief flooding through me. I blink and the ground is just as it always was. Covered in pines needles and leaves.

I hear a chuckle ahead of me.

"Roman!" I call out, huffing my hair out of my eyes. "I thought we agreed no cheating."

I'm back on my feet in an instant and easily catch up to him, realizing that he must have passed me only a moment earlier.

His blonde hair is flying in all different directions when he says, "Gabby, your extremely fast. Almost faster than a regular vampire. I'm just a poor, weak hybrid. I need my telepathy to throw you off if I ever want to beat you." He flashes me a crooked smile.

"Whatever, Roman. You're just jealous that-" Before I can finish, I hear a piercing shriek that cuts through the silence of the woods around us.

We both stop in our tracks immediately. He turns to me, eyes wide with fright. "Mom," he says, almost under his breath.

Before either of us can inhale, we're off, running faster than before. His breathing begins to sound frantic, like he's actually pushing himself. I push myself harder, soaring past him and breaking through the tree line.

I step out of the shadows and into the clearing that our stone cottage is in. It's eerily silent. The birds aren't chirping. The only living thing in site is a single vulture that flies in circles through the darkening sky.

I watch as Roman sneaks around to the back of the house. He lifts two fingers upward and motions for me to go through the front door.

I take hesitant steps toward it, moving cautiously. My hand is reached around the brass door knob when I hear it.

There's a hissing sound.

"Get off of her!" I hear Roman shout.

I glance sideways and catch a glimpse of him through a dirt-streaked window that leads to our kitchen. I peer closer, my nose almost pressed against the glass.

My hand flies over my mouth.

Roman is huddled over my mother, who is laying on the floor. She's clutching her wrist with her right hand and her face is puffy and red, like she had been crying.

Then I look at the figures surrounding them.

There's three tall, ominous vampires shrouded in black cloaks. Their faces are covered in shadow, but their piercing red eyes gleam through it.

And one set of rubies is staring at me.

The hairs on the back of my neck rise. Fear floods my body in an instant.

A feeling I've never experienced before registers in my brain. I recognize it as one of survival and instinct.

Like nothing I'd seen before, there's suddenly a blue tint cast onto the world around me. I look around frantically, hoping that there are still natural pigments residing somewhere.

I realize that I still look the same, even if the rest of the world has changed. I look back toward the window, and am surprised to see that the vampire that was staring at me is now glancing around in confusion. Like he can't see me.

"Where did the girl go?" he asks suddenly, staring down at my mother and twin. His voice is raspy, like he hasn't used it in a long time.

"What girl?" my mother says weakly.

The vampire steps forward in a matter of seconds and grabs a fistful of her golden hair. He tilts her head back forcefully, so that she's staring up at him. Roman starts to lunge at him, but is quickly restrained by the other two vampires.

"Now," the vampire said. "You are going to tell me where Gabriella is before we kill you."

Her voice shakes when she says, "I don't know who you're talking about."

His black hood falls back a bit and reveals strand of blonde hair. His mouth, just barely concealed now, turns down in a grimace. He pulls her to her feet, still holding her hair. She moans at the movement. He leads her to the window and slams her face against the glass.

"Really?" he spits. His temper was severely shortening. "Because she was right here a second ago."

I step back towards the window and stare into my mother's eyes. They are looking directly into mine, and I know that she can see me.

Tears are rolling down my cheeks.

She opens her mouth to say something. Expecting her to tell the vampire that I was still right there, she says, "Run."

I shake my head. "I'm not leaving you!" I shout, expecting the vampires to hastily grab me as well. But they ignore me. Almost like they can't hear what I'm saying.

He yanks her head back. "Take the boy," he says angrily. "Search for the girl. Find a fresh scent."

The other two drag Roman out the front door. He's screaming, knuckles white from clenching them so tight. "Don't you dare hurt her!"

I try to run to him. "Roman!" I'm shrieking his name at the top of my lungs. No one look at me. They drag him into the woods and out of my sight in a matter of seconds. Suddenly his voice is silenced.

"No! Roman!" I'm torn between going after him and going back to my mother. I ran back towards the house, knowing that mom was far more fragile than Roman.

I burst through the doorway, still hanging wide open, and into the kitchen.

Everything is still cast in that odd blue light. At the moment, I don't care why it's there.

My mother is shedding tears. Her face shows no expression. She looks dull and lifeless. The silver cross she always wears around her neck is the only gleaming thing about her.

The vampire has let his grasp on her go. He stands across the room from her, just staring. Waiting to see what she will do next.

Her eyes lock with mine for a brief moment. She sees me. Her face doesn't betray her though.

Instead, she reaches for a knife lying on the counter next to her.

The vampire does nothing.

She holds the blade up to her wrist.

"Mom! Don't do it!" I scream.

No one hears my desperate voice. I lunge for the knife, but by the time I move, she has sliced her wrist clear through.

A waterfall of red blood spills from her arm. The vampire is there immediately, guzzling down her blood, unable to resist the temptation. His mouth his attached to her wrist. She falls to her knees, her face holding the same expression. But her eyes are so filled with love that it brings me to tears.

"Go," she mouths. "Help Roman."

"I'm so sorry mom." My face is crumpled in sorrow. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Even though she is mouthing the words, I feel as if those words have so much emotion packed into them. In her dying words, she tells me she loves me for the last time.

I turn and run. I go down the hallway, past the family photos of us traveling the world, past the coat rack and my old guitar, still sitting on it's stand.

I head towards the door.

When I step into the sunlight, I crash into something as thick as a brick wall. I fall backwards, clutching a hand to my chest.

When I look upward, I shriek.

Another vampire shrouded in a black cloak stares down at me, blood dripping from his chin.

A smile plays on his lips as he lunges for me.

My body flies forward on impulse. I realize that I'm shrieking hysterically, and quickly stop.

I wrap my arms around my body, comforting myself. It was only a dream, it was only a dream.

But no matter how many times I said it, that would never be true. It wasn't _just _a dream. It was a memory. One that stills haunts me even after two months.

I lean back into the plush Egyptian cotton pillows and pull a light blue comforter over my head to hide from the sunlight that was leaking into the room through the gossamer curtains.

My eyes fly open again. Why was I in a bed? I haven't slept in one for at least two weeks at a Super 8 motel I managed to sneak into.

I peer over the warm covers to see that I'm lying in a canopy bed. Two bedside tables flank either side of it.

The room is tastefully decorated in blues and pastel greens. Fully furnished. It's the nicest thing I had been in since my old life ended.

I notice my duffel bag sitting on a white dresser across the room. Next to that, a door to an attached bathroom stands ajar.

Cautiously, I slide my body off of the bed, toes sinking into the plush, navy blue carpet. My body fights this, sending aches that tremble across my limbs.

I walk to the bathroom and peer inside.

The green flows into here as well, with every inch of wall covered in jade tiles. Modern fixtures glimmer against the emerald walls. I gaze into the cabinets under the double sinks and find all necessary toiletries waiting for me.

I stand upright again, taking a glance in the mirror.

My unmanageable hair has been pulled into a side braid, trailing down my lanky body. I'm wearing a matching set of pajamas consisting of a racer back tank and pinstripe yellow shorts. My nails were painted to match.

These gestures made it clear that I was being watched over.

My jade gaze travels back up to my neck, when I let a gasp escape my lips. There's a bite mark blaring bright pink against my pale skin in the shape of a crescent moon.

My fingers gently touch the bite, not believing that it was there. The raised and inflated skin proved otherwise. I quickly pull out the pony tail holder keeping my braid in place and let my hair cover the bite mark.

I notice the other bruises dotting my body. My cheek is still slightly swollen.

Flashes of that night penetrate my mind. I remember _his _face.

He tried to kill me by drinking my blood. He was going to drain me. I didn't even know that was possible.

I remembered he crushed my leg, and I glance down at it, expecting the worst. There's bruises covering the vast spans of my calf, but other than I slight ache, my leg feels fine.

I shudder at the recollection of the pain he inflicted on me. I quickly leave the bathroom, closing the door behind me.

I make my way across the room and open a large white door that leads to an expansive hallway. I notice the dozens of timeless artifacts hanging from the walls, everything from very authentic looking Monet paintings to autographs of Elvis decorating the passageway.

This was definitely a vampire lair.

I head further down the hallway, which ends at an imposing grand staircase, spiraling down to the first floor of the house.

"She's up!"I hear a high-pitched voice say.

I peer over the staircase railing and see Carlisle stride into the entre hall from a large doorway. His topaz eyes meet mine and I shrink back.

"Glad to see you're feeling better," he says, his voice gentle.

I give him a slight smile, beginning to descend the staircase. "Hybrids tend to heal fast," I reply.

I take each step slowly, not sure if I should trust the vampire that saved my life.

He smiles politely back and offers a hand out to me as I reach the bottom step.

I stare at him for a second blankly.

His eyes grow sincere when he says, "I'm not going to hurt you. You're safe now."

For some reason, his words fill me with comfort. I wanted to trust this man who was the same thing that killed my family.

I put my hand into his, and he led my through a set of huge double doors.

"My family has been dying to meet you," he said with a smile.

Thanks everyone for reading this chapter! More interesting stuff is to come. Gabby meets the Cullens next chapter and some more holes in her past are filled.


	3. Chapter 3: New Acquaintances

So sorry everyone! It's been a while since I've had time to type. But I can't wait to get into the real plot of my little spin-off This chapter offers a little more insight into Gabriella's life and describes her meeting the Cullen clan. Well, most of them, anyway. Jacob has yet to make an appearance, but I have something special in store for him

So anywho, on with the show!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight. Although I love toying with the characters in the saga

**Chapter 3: New Acquaintances **

"I don't mean that, you own me  
>This aint no good, in fact it's phony<br>As hell  
>But things worked out just like you wanted too<br>If you see me out you don't know me  
>Try to turn your head, try to give me some room<br>To figure out just what Im going to do."

~Matchbox Twenty, Back 2 Good

I walk into a kitchen filled with sleek modern appliances that were surely only for show. The first thing that I notice is that the room is filled with vampires.

I cringe a little at the thought of being surrounded by them, with no hope of escape.

I realize that they are all staring at me. Instead of the ruby eyes that I have come to expect, I see pools of topaz in each of their faces. The warm color makes me oddly comfortable in their presence.

A female with caramel hair and a heart-shaped face steps out of the sea of pale skin and matching eyes.

"I'm so glad that you're okay, Gabriella." she says. She pulls me into a hug, wrapping her arms around my body. I freeze at her touch.

She pulls away quickly, a sheepish look on her face. "I'm sorry," she says. "It's hard for me to control my maternal instincts." Carlisle moves to her side and wraps an arm around her waist. "I'm Esme, by the way." She reaches a white hand out to meet mine.

I met her hand with my own and quickly dropped it back to my side. "How do you know my name?" I ask it in a curious tone, not an angry or even surprised one.

Her white hand delves into the front pocket of her pencil skirt. She pulls a laminated card from it and hands it to me. "We weren't snooping or anything," she says. "We just wanted to know who you were."

I look down at the card and realize that it is my driver's license. Gabriella Augustine, born September 21st, 1994. I feel a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth as I stare at my placid and laminated face. My brother and I had gotten them done on our real sixteenth birthday, four years ago. It was our little inside joke. Like we needed cars to get around. I could run just as fast, if not faster than any vehicle. We had looked completely grown for years before then. The license was a simple way to keep up appearances in our small town in Pennsylvania and also was a source of entertainment on an otherwise uneventful birthday.

My head snaps up as I realize that there are seven sets of topaz eyes on me. "It's fine," I said hurriedly. "I guess it's normal to want to know more about the unconscious girl living upstairs."

A snort drifts across the granite island in the room. I look to my right and see a girl, almost my physical age by the look of her, with glossy red curls tumbling to her hips. Her brown eyes indicate that she is at least part human and her slightly glimmering skin, visible only to the most advanced eyes, and rapidly beating heart confirm my suspicions. She is a hybrid.

"I'd prefer if you stayed that way." Her lyrical voice is clipped.

"Renesmee," Carlisle warns. "Why don't you get our guest some breakfast?" The girl, apparently Renesmee, drifts out of the room soundlessly, her auburn tresses floating after her.

I notice Edward also standing across the kitchen with one arm wrapped around a brunette vampire's waist. I stifle the urge to flinch at the memory of my blood filling his mouth. "I'm sorry about Renesmee," he says. "She's not used to guests."

"Especially those her own age," the brunette chips in shyly. She offers a small smile and a wave in my direction. "I'm Bella, by the way."

I nod. "Gabriella."

"Ooooh this is so exciting!" There's a flash of black and white out of the corner of my eye and suddenly a petite vampire, much shorter than me, is leaning on the island on her elbows. Her short ebony hair is slightly curled and frames her cheekbones. "I'm Alice." She thrusts a hand towards me. We shake and I remain silent. "I really need to give you a tour of the place," she continues. " I suppose all you've seen is your room, but that's just the tip of the iceberg."

"Thank you, for the offer," I say. "But that's really not necessary. I appreciate you all taking care of me and well, saving my life, but I can't stay." I look down and bite my lip in a nervous gesture.

A curly headed male moves to stand next to Alice at the counter. "I know Alice can be a bit abrasive at times, but you get used to her." He grins down at her. In his slightly southern accent he says, "I'm Jasper."

Renesmee drifts back into the room, holding a plastic bag filled with blood. She tosses it onto the counter and it slides to a stop right in front of me. My eyes widen at the sight of blood and I lick my lips.

"Nessie!" Esme scolds. "Where are your manners, young lady?" She snatches the bag from the counter, much to my dismay, and quickly dispels the liquid into a blue mug. She hands me the cup, an apologetic smile on her lips. I notice that her eyes linger on the red pool that fills my mug. I can't help but think that she's going to devour it herself.

Esme shakes her head quickly and rubs her hands down the front of her pencil skirt. "Do you want that warmed?"she asks,

"No, no. I'm fine." I glance quickly around the room . Jasper leaves immediately with Alice flitting after him.

"I'm still giving you that tour!" She yells as they disappear from the kitchen.

Bella and Edward have their eyes turned towards the ground, letting me drink in private.

My green eyes finally rest on Renesmee, who is staring at me intently. "Go on," she coaxes. "You're the only one in this house that can actually enjoy human blood. So drink up."

I blink, not understanding what she meant. My stomach interrupts my thoughts as a loud grumble escapes. Before I can control myself, I've guzzled the entire mug of blood, cleaning every drop out of it.

"Wow," I breathe. I hadn't given myself the luxury of drinking human blood in years. I always had that option, even though my mother vehemently despised it. She always prepared Roman and I regular meals composed entirely out of food. Human food. It was satisfying, but it didn't compare to what the vampire in me needed. Animal blood was something that I spoiled myself with frequently. My twin brother and I had become very skilled hunters, and we enjoyed it.

But human blood was another delicacy all together. At the small clinic in Asheboro Pennsylvania, our most current town, it was so easy to steal transfusion bags of blood, just like the one the Renesmee had thrown onto the counter. Roman and I would sneak in and steal as many bags as we could carry indiscreetly. Nobody ever suspected us, the angelic twins who attended church every Sunday with our deeply religious mother at our side.

I'd never attacked a human, and I never had the desire to. I knew that Roman had a few close calls with some of the girls in town, but nothing had ever actually happened.

The vampires (and hybrid) around me are still silent. It dawns on me that they keep a stash of human blood inside of their….lair.

"It's B positive, I believe," Carlisle says.

"Oh…thank you. I'm not used to drinking human blood." I offer a small smile in his direction.

"Then you should fit right in here." Edward looks up at me, and I notice that his eyes are a much more intense honey color than the others. I squint at his gaze and the pools of topaz seem to move as he stares at me.

"What do you mean?" I ask, still bewildered by his mesmerizing eyes. "You're vampires. And you have a stash of human blood inside of your house. How can you not drink it? Even I enjoy it from time to time."

Renesmee rolls her eyes at me. I can't help but wonder what her problem is. I wouldn't like a random, dirty hybrid who obviously attracts trouble like a magnet in my house either. "See," she says. "She's allowed to drink human blood."

I feel a cold hand press against the small of my back, light as a feather. I turn instantly to see Carlisle standing to my side. I see almost eye to eye with him. My height was never something that I came to terms with. Being 5"9 and a girl is an intimidating thing for a guy to take on.

"We have a lot to tell you, Gabriella. And I assume that you have questions that deserve to be answered."

I nod, not completely comfortable with his hand on me.

"Please," Carlisle continues. "Follow me into my study." He sweeps his arm towards the door and I follow his direction.

These past few days have been terrifying and confusing for me. I can't help but wonder what I did to deserve this all. But then again, I was saved from a vampire by other vampires, who apparently play the roles of martyrs. And they play it well. But I can't afford to trust them now. I have to find my brother. I don't know how, but I know that I will find him, even if it costs me my life.

So, thoughts? Questions? Comments? Feel free to leave as many reviews as possible. Just a short chapter, but more to come. Gabby finally gets some answers to some of the odd things that happen to her. New chapter very soon!


	4. Chapter 4: New Questions

Thank you everyone for your support! I want to announce a shout-out to the people who reviewed my last chapter; **VampWolf92**, **ChocolatSugar**, and **Sefaltreal**! I can't tell you all how much those reviews mean to me :D Anyway here is the next chapter. The big ass baggage that Gabby carries around is opened as the Cullens ask her about her former life.

Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, I don't own Twilight. By the way, anyone else think it's funny that Kristen Stewart allegedly cheated on Rob?

**Chapter 4: New Questions**

"_If all our life is but a dream  
>Fantastic posing greed<br>Then we should feed our jewelry to the sea  
>For diamonds do appear to be<br>Just like broken glass to me"_

_~Northern Downpour, Panic! At the Disco_

Wuthering Heights. The Taming of the Shrew. A Brief History of Time. The Da Vinci Code. I sit in Carlisle's library, staring at the immense wall of shelves stuffed with books, everything from first edition Jane Austens to the latest medical journals and publications. I'm trying to understand everything that he's told me so far.

The Cullens are not normal vampires. Their eyes are glaring evidence to that. They manage to survive solely on animal blood; something that I thought would not be capable considering what they are.

Carlisle is sitting behind his solid oak desk, leaning onto the surface on his elbows with his hands clasped together in front of the wall of books. In his light blue pull-over sweater and with his hair brushed back, he practically screams doctor, something that he just so happens to be, despite his….condition. He looks patiently at me, allowing me time to absorb all of this information.

He told me about how each Cullen joined the coven….er… family, as he describes it, including himself and how he managed to figure out a rather peaceful way of survival after several failed suicide attempts.

When he spoke of two other clan…family…members, Emmett and Rosalie, my jaw dropped. Apparently, they were on their eighth honeymoon in Paris. This group was an extremely large one, bigger than any that I had heard of that lived peacefully together. Not that I knew of many. My brother and I had come across a couple covens in the twenty years that we've lived, but none were bigger than three and they were nomadic.

The Cullens were definitely an odd bunch. They did not roam like most of their kind prefer. Instead, they chose 'main-streaming,' as Carlisle called it, and attempt to blend in with the humans. One of the rare exceptions was Bella and her rebirth into vampirism, which Carlisle briefly mentioned in his story of Renesmee's origin. This house is apparently a permanent one.

"It's a lot to take in, I know," he says. He leans back into his chair, as if bracing for my immediate questions, but I seem to be at a loss for words.

"Yes," I agree. "It is."

"Gabriella," he begins.

"Gabby is fine, Carlisle," I say, almost shyly. I always felt that my name was such a mouthful. I much preferred the shortened version of it.

He smiles. "Alright, Gabby." He takes a breath in, as if not knowing how to continue. " As you probably understand, there is a lot happening that I do not understand."

I nod after a moment. "You're wondering why I was on your territory?"

"Yes. But there's more to it than that. The vampire that had been following you had not only beaten you almost to a comatose state, but was drinking your blood. This is of the utmost concern to my family, especially since my granddaughter is also a hybrid."

I realize that my fingers are brushing against the almost completely faded bite mark on my neck. I quickly jerk them down and fiddle with a loose string on the hem of my tank top. "I don't know anything about that." I say quietly. "I didn't even know that was possible. Not that I was ever exposed to vampires in the first place."

He looks quizzically at me. "What do you mean?"

"I've lived the majority of my life moving from town to town to avoid suspicions. It would be a bit odd, usually in secluded areas. My home is in the Appalachians in Pennsylvania in a town called Asheboro. Well, it was my home anyway."

"And you lived with your mother and brother?"

My eyebrows furrow. "Yes. My twin brother, Roman. How did you know about them?"

Carlisle smiles weakly. "We saw your sketchbook, and I just assumed the people in it were your family."

I flush. I'm very private about my artwork.

"I'm truly sorry Gabriella. We just wanted to know a little more about you. I promise we don't usually do that kind of thing."

"It's okay, Carlisle. I understand." After all, he did open his home and put his family in danger by allowing a stranger to recuperate in the extra bedroom.

"So," he continues. "Roman is your twin?" He looks confused as he says the words slowly.

I take a moment to reply. "Yes."

"When Bella was still human, her rather unexpected pregnancy with Renesmee was extremely traumatic. She was at the brink of death in the end and the only way to save her was to turn her." He stops for a silent second. "Is your mother a vampire now?"

"No, God no," I say, almost in relief. Then I remember who I'm talking to. "No offense," I quickly add.

"None taken." He runs a hand through his blonde hair. "I'm just wondering how she managed to survive the birth of two hybrids at the same time without being turned."

I've never asked my mother about our births and she's never mentioned it in detail. She would give vague descriptions of the day of our birth, like it was 'the happiest day of her life.' It never crossed my mind that we were an exceptionally strong set of babies, although I suppose it makes sense. If what Carlisle says about Bella is true, then that must have been a lie for our sakes.

"We've never really discussed our births," I say.

He nods, unblinking. "Is your father still around?"

I stare at him, speechless. I'm not angry or surprised that he mentioned my father. Just dumbstruck. I never knew what to say when it came to my absentee-dad.

"Never knew him," I answer simply. "I don't even know what he looks like."

"I'm sorry for intruding. I don't mean to ask anything personal." The look on his features is genuinely apologetic. "What can I say, I'm an extremely curious individual."

I smile. "It's fine. Ask anything and I'll answer it to the best of my abilities."

"There is one thing that I've been dying to ask you."

Instead of Carlisle's low and soothing voice, I turn from my position on the leather chase opposite of the desk and see Edward, clad in a cream cashmere sweater rolled up to his elbows, jeans, and a pair of worn Doc Martens leaning against the door frame. His eyes still blaze like magma as they stare into mine.

"Anything," I repeat.

"Well, a few things really, but this has been bothering me since the night we found you." He takes a breath in. "Are you a shield?"

A what? I'm stunned. "A shield?" I ask. "I have no idea what you're referring to."

"Gabby," Carlisle interjects. "Do you possess any special abilities?"

I shake my head. "I don't think so. I can run faster than most hybrids can, if that counts. My brother had all the talent in our family. He was a telepath."

"Really?" They say in unison.

Edward is the first to speak. "Renesmee is also. She can portray her thoughts through physical contact, although she is working on projecting them without touch."

My jaw drops for the second time. "Renesmee is a telepath?"

"Yes," he continues. "And I believe that you are a shield, like Bella is."

"What Edward means by shield," Carlisle continues, "is that you have the capabilities of protecting your mind from mental assaults."

"Mental assaults?The only thing I've experienced that sounds like what you're describing is Roman's telepathy. He projects images and thoughts to me all of the time, even over long distances."

"Yes, well. Some vampires and hybrids have…talents. Some might even go as far as to call them powers. Like your brother's ability."

"And like me." Edward is grinning at me now. "I can read minds."

My mouth opens a bit. I wonder what thoughts he has heard of mine, or if he was able to watch my dreams while I was unconscious.

"Don't worry," he says, sensing my bewilderment. "I can't read yours."

I breathe a sigh of relief. Edward cocks his head to the side. I laugh. "Sorry, I'm just glad that I still have the privacy of my thoughts."

He joins me in laughing. "Believe me. I wish I didn't hear everyone's thoughts. Especially living in a house with my entire family. But there are two exceptions to my so-called gift." He holds his index finger up. "One, Bella." He holds another up. "And you."

My eyes grow wider. "So I do have an ability?"

"We believe so," Carlisle says. "Has anything happened to you that you couldn't explain? Some sort of odd occurrence that was never answered?" He pauses. "Besides the obvious, of course." His mouth twists into a weak smile.

I begin to shake my head, but then it hits me. "Once," I begin. " It was like the world had turned blue. Everything that I saw had changed color. And the vampires couldn't see or hear me, like I wasn't even there." Carlisle and Edward listen intently to my story. "I don't know how it happened, but suddenly, this blue light went away and everything was normal again."

"You were around other vampires?" Edward asks, his eyebrows raised.

I take a deep breath in. "My home was attacked by three vampires. That's why I left. Why I happened to come into your territory after a month and a half of trying to get away from _them."_

"What happened to your family?" I hear a small voice ask from behind Edward. Renesmee steps out from around him, almost shyly.

"Renesmee," her father scolds. "Now is not the time to be inappropriate."

"My mother was killed." I tell her. My voice hitches. I can feel my breathing coming in quick bursts and my eyes begin to brim with tears. I look down at the Persian carpet. I've never said those words before, and hearing them out loud hits me like a ton of bricks. My mother is gone. I will never see her again.

Even though my throat is constricting, and I know that if I continue speaking, I'll cry, I say, "My brother was taken by the vampires. I thought that he was dead until a few days ago, when Carlisle and Edward found me." By now, tears are falling down my face. The drops land on the soft fabric of my pajama shorts and leave moist circles

"And now I'm alone. I have nowhere to go, and no one to go to." My sadness evolves into anger as I continue speaking. "All thanks to fucking vampires."

My hand flies to my mouth. I usually don't cuss. Especially when I'm surrounded by the very beings that I currently loathe with every fiber of my body. "I'm sorry." I say quietly.

Renesmee's brown eyes are wide. Edward begins to push her gently out of the library. "No, dad." Her hand brushes his forearm and she looks intently into his eyes. From what they've told me about Renesmee's telepathic abilities, the two had just exchanged a mental conversation.

Edward backs up a bit, allowing her to enter the room. She moves to sit beside me on the leather chase. The faint scent of strawberries lingers in her presence. "I'm so sorry," she says. "And I'm sorry for my behavior towards you. It wasn't right and that's not who I am."

I sniffle once, and I can feel my face flush red. I hate crying in front of people, and this is just embarrassing. "It's okay, Renesmee. Really. Your family has been nothing but kind to me and I can't thank you all enough for everything that you've done. I just-"

She cuts me off. "It's not enough. That's why I think that you should stay here."

What? Stay? Here? I barely know these people. I can't just live with them.

"Renesmee, I can't ask your family to do that for me."

"Ness is right." I glance at Edward, whose mouth is twisted into a half smile. "Gabriella can't be out on her own anyway. It's far too dangerous."

I open my mouth, prepared to decline their offer. But no words come out. I'm completely speechless at these vampires' generosity. This is far more than I would have ever expected from their kind.

Carlisle nods his head. "I think that would be the best thing for you, Gabby."

"Carlisle, I can't stay." I find my voice again and continue. "I don't want to be a burden on any of you."

"Believe me," Edward interjects. "We have plenty of space and funds necessary to sustain our group as well as you, Gabriella. You're not a burden."

"It's not just that," I say almost in a whisper. "I need to find my brother."

"Your brother?" Carlisle asks.

I nod. "He's still alive."

"Do you know where he is?" Renesmee chimes in.

"No." I look back down at my lap. "When I was dying, I saw him. I thought that I was hallucinating, but I believe that he was communicating with me."

"Communicating? Is he a telepath?" I forget that Renesmee missed our previous conversation.

"Yes. And he told me that he was alive. I'm the only one who knows about him, and I need to find him. I can't just betray my twin like that."

There's silence for a moment. Nobody knows what to say. Carlisle is the first to speak. "Gabby, what is your plan for finding your brother?"

My gaze turns toward him. "I…I don't know yet."

"I think," he begins, selecting his words carefully, "that you should stay here, at least until you're well enough to be on your own physically and mentally, as well as until it is safe for you. With a coven as large as ours, any vampire would be immediately intimidated."

He pauses and allows his words to sink in. "And for your brother, I too would like to get to the bottom of this. Not only for your sake, but for the safety of my family." He glances towards Renesmee as he says the words. "If hybrids are being hunted, it is an important issue.

"In short, My family would be pleased if you stayed. In the mean time, we would be happy to help you find Roman as well as any others that these vampires may have taken." The look he wears is completely serious.

"Carlisle…I…just…" I mumble, not knowing how to process what he is saying. He is offering me a place to stay, help finding my brother, and ultimately a safe haven from the vampires. How could I say no to that? "Thank you, Carlisle. Thank you all."

I intake my breath sharply as Renesmee wraps her arms around my shoulders in an embrace. I sit, wondering how her mood changed so sharply in the past few hours. But then again, when I was developing, my mood was also rather erratic.

She pulls away and I smile at her. It's genuine. One of the first that I've given since leaving my old life behind.

"So I guess we're housemates now," she says, returning my grin.

"I guess so."

Edward coughs from the doorframe, centering our attention on him. "Renesmee, could you go and change the sheets on Gabriella's bed?"

She nods, leaving the room. As she walks out, she calls over her shoulder, "Alice and I are coming back to give you the grand tour, Gabby!"

Edward shuts the door to the room, but I know that any vampire or hybrid in this house could hear our conversation anyway.

"There is another thing that I wanted to talk with you both about" Edward says.

Carlisle nods in knowing and then looks in my direction.

"Gabby," Edward begins. "You know that I drank your blood?"

My eyes squint as I recall the other night. Much was a black blur, but I did remember Edward's cold mouth pressed against my neck. I nod.

"Well, it's had a strange effect on me. And don't let this next part scare you, but your blood is the most potent that I have ever tasted." He runs a hand quickly through his tousled auburn hair. He adds, "and I've had a decent amount of human blood."

I gasp and I feel my eyes grow wide. "What does this mean?"

"We believe that hybrid blood is a much more powerful…stimulant, if you will, for vampires," Carlisle says. "Edward's ability to read minds has been amplified since ingesting your blood, and as you may have noticed, his eyes are startlingly bright."

"I can read minds up to five miles away, now." Edward pinches the bridge of his nose between his index finger and thumb. "It's extremely annoying. You wouldn't believe the things people think about." He smiles briefly. "And it's harder for me to control my strength. I broke two door knobs in the past day."

"You also shine brighter in the sunlight," Carlisle adds.

Edward rolls his eyes. "Yes. That too. I feel so…alive."

Carlisle and I exchange a hesitant glance towards each other. "I think it's safe to say that your blood has had a very odd effect on Edward indeed." Carlisle shifts in his seat and leans back. "We did not believe it was plausible to be able to consume hybrid blood, but apparently it is, and it's happening. You're proof to that, Gabby."

Just then, Renesmee flits back into the room, brushing past Edward. "You ready for the grand Cullen tour?" she smiles at me. "Alice is rolling out the red carpet as we speak."

"Sure." I stand and she loops her arm through mine, about to lead me into the hall.

"Oh, one last thing," Carlisle calls. "It's probably best to tell Gabriella about Jacob."

Suddenly, a million images are projected into my mind. A russet skinned man is the star of all of them. His dark hair glistens under the warm sun and his chocolate eyes light up as he smiles. The corners of his eyes crinkle as he grins. Laugh lines are becoming evident on his well defined features. His nose is a straight line and his jaw is strong. His body is built and his muscles are evident, even under a simple black t-shirt and jeans. I feel my heart thud just looking at the man. He's running towards Renesmee, and he leaps into the air. And as if from straight out of a horror movie, a wolf burst from inside of this man. His clothes are shredded, no longer capable of containing the giant wolf that he has morphed into. His humongous paws hit the ground with a reverberating thud, and he continues racing along, his russet fur coat gleaming under the sun's rays.

Renesmee abruptly pulls away from me, removing her arm from my own. "Sorry," she says, her face flushing a vibrant red. "You weren't suppose to see those."

Edward sighs. "Jacob is a shapeshifter, as you saw in Ness's thoughts. He is of Native American descent, which is where he gets the gene from. He, as well as the other members of his pack and the Quileute tribe in La Push, Washington, have the ability to shift into wolves at will."

I raise my eyebrows. "Like a werewolf?"

"Not a werewolf," Renesmee immediately responds. "They're completely different."

"I'm sure he'll explain in a more in-depth manner when he returns," Carlisle says. "It's important to know that he is around our home very frequently. I don't want his presence startling you."

I shake my head, still a little dazed about the thought of shapeshifters. "I'm completely fine." I was lying. I wasn't the least bit fine. Seeing this Jacob in my mind was having a strange effect on me. The man sent waves of butterflies to my stomach, and my heart was still pounding in my chest. I'm surprised that no one commented on my condition. Surely they heard my breathing grow more rapid and the loud thrumming of my heart?

Maybe it was just experiencing him through Renesmee's mind and how she sees him. He must have the same effect on her.

I shake my head again, trying to clear my mind. I have much more important issues than this _Jacob_. "So," I say, "How about that tour?"

**VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV **

How are you liking Gabby now that some more questions have been answered. There are still plenty left to figure out as Gabby continues her journey. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Please leave a review to show your support! Thanks! Next chapter, look forward to a setting establishment as Gabriella explores the Cullen estate!


	5. Chapter 5: A New Home

Sorry for the long wait everyone! School is just beginning for me and I had a flight to get ready for. Jetlag really does take a toll on your ability to write. I'm hoping to update on the weekends, when I actually have time. But thank you everyone for your support! It literally makes my day every time I see a review alert in my inbox

I had a very good question asked by **ChocolatSugar **in regards to whether or not Renesmee and Jacob are mates in my story. In case anyone else was wondering, as of right now, no. Renesmee has just barely finished developing and is about five years old. That puts Jacob at around 23, since I'm pretty sure that he was 18 at the end of Breaking Dawn. Obviously, there's an age difference that Edward and probably Bella aren't happy about. But, Jacob DID imprint on Renesmee exactly as the book described it. In New Horizons, all events that occurred in the Twilight Saga did happen. Also the family has moved to a new location across the country, since they can't exactly stick around for that long, especially with Renesmee aging as rapidly as hybrids do. Gabriella finds out where exactly they live in the next chapter, in case you're curious.

So, now that that's out of the way…On to Chapter 5!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or the characters affiliated with the franchise etc. etc.

**Chapter 5: A New Home**

"_I ran away in floods of shame  
>I'll never tell how close I came<br>As I crossed the hollow road  
>Well you went left and I went right<br>As the moon hung proud and bright  
>You would have loved it here tonight"<em>

_~Home, Mumford & Sons_

Sitting on the leather L-shaped couch in the Cullen's den, I feel more relaxed than I have in weeks. Sunlight washes over me, engulfing my body in a comforting heat. Alice sits next to me, mindlessly thumbing through an issue of _Vanity Fair_. Thousands of faucets of light are thrown from her body as the light touches her rock hard skin. The entire room is made of windows. Esme told me that before the Cullens purchased the colonial style home, the room that they use as a den was a greenhouse attached to it. Esme herself refurbished the entire manor, including turning this space into a cozy and large spare living room adorned with an earth toned color scheme. Glass composed both the walls and ceiling on the entire area, allowing for maximum sunlight to enter the room. The structure itself was rounded and full of inviting furniture and a large flat-screen TV. It was by far my favorite room in the entire mansion.

Alice and Nessie (as she insists I call her) led me through each room excitedly, telling me everything I needed to know about living here. The first floor of the home was extremely large. The kitchen and Carlisle's study sat across from one another at the front of the house. Behind the kitchen was a large formal dining room, capable of seating 12 people, or in their case, vampires. The den was tucked in the furthermost corner of the back of the house, extending 30 ft into the backyard, or so Alice tells me. Another living room, much more formal than the den, was at the opposite end of the manor and sported neat white furniture and a matching carpet. I thought of it as very Cape Cod style.

They pulled me up the spiral staircase in the main entry hall and showed me each of the Cullen bedrooms. Inside of every room was a large closet filled to the brim with clothes, mostly designer, I noted, and an even more extravagantly humongous bed. Like they need beds, I had thought. It's not like they sleep. I shuddered and Alice and Ness looked at me quizzically as I realized what the beds were actually for. Renesmee's room was my favorite out of all of the bedrooms. Her's was located inside of a turret in the front of the second floor, facing the long driveway leading out of the clearing that the house was situated in and disappearing into the vast forest. The circular room was surrounded in windows and a full-sized bed was placed at the far end of the room. Curtains of all different fabrics and vibrant colors fanned out from around the bed, making a canopy over the head of it. The rest of her room was complete with sets of vintage furniture and lots of colors, creating a boho gypsy effect. The bathroom attached to her room with designed the same way and had an impressive Jacuzzi tub located inside. Including my own room, which would remain in the spare bedroom, there were six bedrooms on the second floor.

"Okay, your house officially beats mine," I had said, thinking of my family's modest cottage.

"It's your house too," Alice immediately replied. I still couldn't accept that I lived here now, in this unnecessarily humongous mansion. "And besides," she continued, "there's still more."

My eyes widened, wondering where there was room for _more_, but they continued down a hallway that led to the guest…I mean…my room. A small staircase was situated at the end and as I stepped up the creaking stairs, I knew this room would be breathtaking.

It looked like it used to be an attic, but had been converted into a comfy loft. Dormers speckled the wall facing the front of the house and had little reading nooks in each. The main area had been painted blue and was decorated with autographed movie posters and overstuffed furniture. But the most amazing part of the space was the back wall. Obviously modeled after the den, it was made completely of a glass wall, reaching from floor to ceiling. The expansive forest lay behind that and we could almost see over the tops of the trees. They stretched on for miles, farther than even vampire eyes could see. The ocean of greenery spread out in front of me was what put me into a good mood. The forest was my true home, no matter where I was.

Alice continued speaking about the loft, but I only heard parts of what she was saying, too mesmerized by the view.

"….Esme thought of the idea of a glass wall….built in 1754….originally an attic….Jacob's room…"

I snapped my head to look at her suddenly, at the sound of _his _name. "Jacob's room?" I ask, hoping not to be too obvious about how I reacted to him.

"Yeah," Ness chimed in, her soft voice like music. "Sometimes he stays here and sleeps in the room over there, next to the bathroom."

She led me to the oak door across the room and twisted the knob saying, "I hope it's not too messy in here. He hasn't been here for about a week, so it's probably dusty and…"

I stopped listening to her when the overwhelming smell hit me. He smells like the woods, I had thought. And he did. His scent washed over and through my body as she opened the door, too slowly, in my opinion. I breathed in deeply, taking in the woodsy aroma. Pine needles, wild animals, fresh water…it was all there along with a tantalizing odor that I had never smelled, but it definitely affected me. I let it engulf my being and I would have stood there all day taking in his smell if Ness hadn't begun to give me a weird look.

But she also looked happy to be in Jacob's room, a small smile playing on her lips. Alice, on the other hand, looked like she was going to puke.

"You can handle this one, Nessie," she said, her small nose wrinkled in disgust. I looked down at her, as I was almost a foot taller than Alice, surprised. How could this room smell gross? The aroma was _amazing_. Better than anything I had ever smelt.

Alice sensed my shock and said, "Vampires can't stand the smell of shapeshifters. It really is a putrid odor. Obviously you two disagree." She rolled her eyes at Nessie. "I'll be in the den, when you're finished ogling over Jacob's stink."

That seemed to shake Renesmee out of her trance. She spread her arm out in a welcoming gesture, directing it inside of the room. "Come on in, I'm sure he wouldn't mind." With that, she flopped onto the modest twin bed in the back of the room, her wild red curls splayed out beneath her. The glass wall continued into this room as well, filling the room with natural light. Hard wood floors spread out under my feet and covered the length of the average sized room. It was a sparsely decorated room, obviously not used very often. But the walls and the tops of every surface in the room were covered in pictures.

A lot of them featuring Renesmee, I noted with a pang of jealously. What's wrong with me? I haven't even met the guy….

They don't seem to have been placed in any order, but a lot of them are of Ness and Jacob, or even just Nessie. Her when she was a baby, a toddler, a kid, a teen, even now when she was almost completely developed. He was there with her in most, grinning beautifully, flashing his white teeth. I saw one that looked so intimate I could barely glance at it for long. Jacob and Renesmee were both in it, her on the left, him on the right. She had obviously taken the photo, with her arm outstretched in front of the pair. She had leaned in and kissed his cheek, covered in a subtle layer of stubble, still smiling, even with her lips against his skin. His mouth was hanging open in mock surprise, but his eyes were burning brightly, even in the picture.

My face flushed bright red after seeing that photo, and I turned immediately to look at the others. On the dresser, there was a picture of Bella when she was in human form. Her cheeks were stained with red, much like mine were at the moment, and she was leaning against a rusty old Volkswagen Rabbit.

Above the bed hung pictures of a much younger Jacob and he had long hair, not quite yet the man I had seen in Renesmee's mind. He had a goofy smile on his face, still sporting a little baby fat. He arms were around the shoulders of two other guys who looked almost the exact same as him. Same eyes, hair, smile.

Ness saw me looking at that photo and said, "That's Quil and Embry. Jake's best friends. They all used to live on the Rez together in Washington. We mentioned it right? La Push."

"Oh," was all I could say. I realized that Nessie was still looking at me, so I added, "He was so much younger then."

She giggled. "That was before they turned. Being a shifter really ages you. About a year after that, he was pretty much the Jacob you saw in my head."

I continued to look at the pictures, seeing a few more when he was young, a couple with a man in a wheelchair who appeared to be his dad.

"Is that where he is now?" I had asked, trying to sound nonchalant, but really dying on the inside to know. Where did he go? When is he coming back? Is it soon?

"La Push? Yeah." Renesmee stopped fiddling with a strand of her hair and stopped smiling. It was obvious that his absence deeply affected her. "He's got a pack to take care of there. I guess that's what happens when you're Alpha."

I realized that she was talking about a pack of shapeshifters. Wolves. I guess Jacob was their leader.

"He should be back in a few days, though." Her face brightened as she said this. "C'mon," she added, practically leaping off of the bed. "Let's go back downstairs and get you acquainted with the rest of the family."

Much to my dismay, she led me out of the room and back down the stairs. Suddenly, I became very excited for a 'few days from now' to happen very quickly.

**VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVV**

I look over at Alice as she sets the magazine down on the coffee table in front of us. "You remember Jasper," she states as he steps into the room. Under direct light, even with his skin shining brightly, I can see an alarmingly high amount of bite marks on his body. I try not to look to long, not wanting him to catch me.

"Hello again, Gabby," he says, planting a kiss on Alice's forehead. He leans back up and sits in an armchair that matches the sofa we are on. "I heard that you're a shield." He smiles at me.

"Well, Edward and Carlisle seem to think so," I reply. "Alice tells me that you have a gift too." I remember her mentioning it from our earlier conversations.

He grins wickedly and suddenly I feel really excited. Like, abnormally so. I hadn't been this ecstatic since my mother planned our trip to Disney World in Florida. And as rapidly as it came, it was gone, completely evaporated. I'm back to the relaxed state I was in not moments ago. "Right. Emotion control," I say, fully understanding his ability now.

His grin widens and he asks, "Did you like the house?"

I smile back. "It was-"

The cell phone in Renesmee's hand starts buzzing. I recognize it as the iPhone 6, not even on the market yet.

Her face lights up and she answers when she sees the screen. "Hey Jake!" she says, obviously exited that he was calling. She runs from the room as Alice yells after her, "We can still hear your conversation!"

But I wasn't focused on Alice. I was listening to the voice on the other end of the phone line. I couldn't make out all of the words, but I could hear a deep tone. A laugh even, as Renesmee prattles away about what she's been doing since he last called.

I remember that Jasper is expecting an answer, and I quickly turn back to him and say, "It was beautiful. The entire house is magnificent."

Jasper opens his mouth to speak just as Edward walks into the room. "Dinner is ready," he tells me. "Well, for yourself and Renesmee." I grin, wondering which vampire was able to cook human food.

"Thanks, Edward." I remove my legs out from under me and stand up, heading toward the doorway where Edward is standing. As soon as I get off the couch, the faintest scent of Jacob fills my nose. Ever since being in his room and taking in the powerful aroma there, I had been able to detect it all around the house. Everywhere that Jacob had been. Even with the unique smells of all the other vampires and Ness in the house, I could still tell exactly which one was his.

I was worried this would get out of control. As I followed Edward to the kitchen, I was grateful that he couldn't hear my thoughts. I would be embarrassed if any of them knew how Jacob affected me. I didn't choose it to happen, in fact, I would prefer if it hadn't. Especially since he and Renesmee obviously have something between them. Something that I have no right to get tangled up in. I had been invited to stay here out of the kindness of these odd vampire's hearts and there was no way that I was going to screw up their generous offer. Besides, wasn't a free place to stay and exorbitant amounts of protection worth more than a stupid crush?

All I knew was that in a few days time, Jacob would be here. And I was more excited than I had been under Jasper's emotional influence.

**VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVV**

So I think that by now we all know that something's gonna go down between Gabriella, Jacob, and Renesmee. The real question is….when? Soon enough! I plan on Jacob making his appearance in the next few chapters! Also, I know this chapter was short and was just a lot of description, but I just felt that I had to get that out of the way before I could move on with the plot.

Feel free to leave a review (pretty pretty please!) and tell me what you think of the new Cullen home and how Gabby interacts with the family.


	6. Chapter 6: A New Threat

First off, I just wanted to say thanks to everyone that reviewed New Horizons! I'm glad that something that I created (with the help of Stephanie Meyer, of course) could have this sort of impression on people! I can't tell you all how much every review means to me

I had a question arise as to how Gabby fits into this story if Renesmee and Jacob are a thing….well all will be answered eventually. I'm not giving out any spoilers, but I am trying to take this story in a different direction than any other twilight fanfic that I have read. So mentally prepare yourselves for some shit to go down And I know that it's 6 chapters into the story and Jake has yet to appear in the flesh, but I am writing him into the next chapter so watch out for that! Feel free to leave any comments in the reviews and I will try to answer everyone's questions, if there are any.

Soooo….thanks again for all of the support and here is Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: A New Threat**

"_Severed with self from my all a lie__  
>Cut out the only thing that was right<em>_  
>What If I never saw you again<em>_  
>I'd die right next to you in the end<em>_"_

_~Danger, Keep Away, Slipknot__  
><em> 

"Gabby!"

My eyes flutter open at the sound of my name. I blink rapidly and take in my surroundings.

I'm lying on the side of a hill dusted with new-fallen snow. Even as the icy flakes lightly coat my body, I'm oddly warm. I lean up onto my elbows to get a better look.

"Gabriella!" I feel a pair of hands brush across my shoulder.

My head shoots to the left, and I almost begin to cry the very second I see Roman crouching beside me.

"Oh my God," I sob, throwing my lanky arms around my brother. He returns my hug, holding me protectively close.

"Roman…where are you? What's happened to you? I've been-"

"We don't have time for all of this, Gabby. I'm only out of their watch for a few moments. I barely have any time to explain." He pulls away from me and I get a good look at him.

Even under the eerie moonlight, I can tell that he's not in good shape. His face is badly bruised and there are cuts running down his cheeks. His hair is longer and badly kept and he desperately needs to shave. He's wearing the same AC/DC shirt that he was taken in, along with the jeans and worn-out Vans, except now they're torn, holey, and covered in layers of dirt and blood.

"Jesus, Roman," I mutter, taking him in.

His fingers move under my chin and he pulls my face back upward to look him in the eye.

"That's not important right now. I need to tell you that-"

"Hey!" The shout rips through his sentence, and he spins his head around wildly, searching for the voice's owner.

"They're coming Gabby!" He practically shrieks at me. "They know where you are and they're coming. You need to be prepared. Do _not _let them take you, Gabriella. Do you hear me?!" His hands on my shoulders are shaking my body, but I nod in response, understanding that Roman had gotten himself in a lot of danger relaying this information to me.

As if from nowhere, a tall vampire clad in a black cape appears. "Filthy hybrid! Always where you shouldn't be. Who let you out here?" He tears Roman from out of my arms.

I'm sobbing now, screaming at the vampire. "Let him go, you fucking asshole!" I shriek in his direction.

But he can't hear me. I realize that this wasn't supposed to be a part of my brother's message. This is reality, melding in with Roman's telepathy.

"Roman!" I cry. I grasp one of his hands with my own, trying to pull him back to me, back to our old life and to our mother.

He doesn't struggle against the vampire. His green eyes blaze into my matching ones. "Gabriella. _Let_ _go._"

I plead with my eyes. "Roman, I will find you."

"I know." His figure, along with the vampire yanking him back, begin to fade into black.

My twin finally frees his hand from my own, succumbing to the bleak darkness. As their bodies disappear, I hear his voice drift almost silently to me, like wind sifting through trees in a forest. "I love you, Gabby."

"God damn it!" I scream. I fall onto my knees and drop my head into my hands. I'm weeping, more than I ever remember. Tears fall into the snow in front of me, and soon my cheeks are completely damp. I wipe my face with the back of my hand, and catch a glimpse around me. No longer am I on a snowy hillside, but instead am in a musty cell.

The walls and floor are a matching color of dark green and I can tell that it's from years of mold growing rapidly. A small ceiling light hangs just above my head, flickering cacophonously. I slowly rise to my feet, glancing cautiously around. I can barely see the sides of the cell, darkness claiming each of the corners.

But I can hear someone breathing. I step towards one of the walls and can make out the huddled figure of a person sitting against the walls, with their legs pulled against their chest.

"Hello?" I call out quietly.

The head snaps up and I realize I'm looking at Roman. But this wasn't the scuffed up boy I had just seen. This boy was just a shell of my brother. I squinted to get a closer look at him. His skin was taunt across his bones, and he was skinnier than I had ever seen. He looked far worse than he had portrayed himself.

"Roman?" I crouch down beside him, just as he had been beside me earlier.

He leans forward in the shadows, so I can see his entire face out of the dark. A snarl rips from his throat and his mouth opens in a hiss. I jump back, afraid. This wasn't my brother. _It _wasn't Roman.

As I think this, I move my gaze away from his malnourished body and stare into the eyes of what used to be my twin. And they're red as blood.

**VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVV**

My throat is hoarse, and I realize that I had been screaming in my sleep. Again. It had been six days since I had woken up from my near-death experience and almost every night after, I have been having these dreams. Surely I must be bothering the vampires in the house with the nightmares that have been plaguing me.

"Bad dreams?" Esme is perched at the foot of the bed. Even in the dark, I can see that her caramel eyes are filled with apprehension.

I nod quickly. "Sorry to bother you."

She smiles faintly. "It's not like you woke me."

It's silent for a few moments before she says, "Do you want to talk about it?"

I stare at her, wondering if my nightmares would make any sense if I tried to explain them out loud. "They're….complicated."

"Oh," was what she managed. "If you need anything, Carlisle and I are right down the hall."

I nod again, smiling at her. "Thanks, Esme."

"Really, anything." She stands up to leave, but something makes me stop her.

I lean upward until I'm in a sitting position, the comforter still covering my legs. "Wait," I call after her.

She turns back toward me, taking her spot back at the end of the bed. I could tell that she was glad that I was warming up to her.

"I think this dream was real," I begin, unsure of how to start this.

Her eyebrows furrow together. "Was it your brother?"

"Yes. I think he was trying to warn me." I close my eyes, remembering what it was that he had said. The last part of the dream shocked me so much that I could barely recall the beginning.

"Oh my God," I mumble, allowing the memory to flood back. I jump out of the bed. "They're coming, Esme. Like, _Now." _

"What?" Shock spreads across her pale feature. Clearly this wasn't the way she thought this conversation would go. "The vampires are coming here?" She moves to stride out of the rooming, waving for me to follow. "We had better tell Carlisle about this."

In half a second we zoomed down the stairs and Esme throws open the door to Carlisle's library. He's leaning over an Atlas at his desk. When we enter, his blond head snaps up, startled by our intrusion.

"Carlisle," Esme breathes.

I continue for her, trying to relay Roman's message. "The vampires are coming here right now. They're on their way as we speak."

His eyes grow wide, and he runs a hand through his hair. "There are multiple?"

"Yes." I felt confident that Roman would not have said that unless it was true. Or at least, he believed it to be.

"How do you know this?" Both he and Esme are looking at me, wondering how I knew all of this.

"Roman contacted me when I was sleeping. I think the nightmares that I've been having are all his way of telling me that I'm in danger. We all are." I left out the part about the vampire version of my brother deliberately. I didn't want them to think that all of this had stemmed from my own internal fear.

"He used telepathy? Are you sure?" Carlisle said the words slowly, and I knew what I said next would impact the entire family.

I nodded without hesitation. "He told me to be prepared, so that's what I'm going to do." Roman was the only person in this world that I trusted with my life. I would do anything he told me.

Edward suddenly burst into the room, with Bella and Renesmee in tow. Ness still looked stunning, even with her eyes half opened and her hair disheveled, obviously having been woken up.

"What do we do Carlisle." Edward's statement was less of a question, and more of an acceptance of what was happening.

Esme looked around the room, a worried expression crossing her face. "Where are Alice and Jasper?" she asks, suddenly sounding as if she was about to cry.

"They went hunting," Bella said from behind Edward's protective stance. "They left about a half hour ago."

"They're in the woods with a hostile group of vampires heading our way?" Carlisle immediately sprung into action, flying across the room and hitting a series of numbers into a keypad attached to the wall. A beep sounded and I hear metal shades being dropped in front of all of the windows in the house.

"We will follow their scent. Without Rosalie and Emmett here, we are down in numbers. We don't know how many vampires are coming, but we need to rally as much support as possible."

Bella moved from behind Edward, ignoring the intense gaze he was giving her. "What about the girls?" she asked. Even with all of the chaos that was sure to ensue, I still managed to think it was funny that she thought of me as a girl, even though I was only a few years younger than her.

Carlisle's eyes flutter between Renesmee and me, deciding what to do. "They're staying,"Carlisle and Esme say in unison.

"Carlisle," I interject. I wouldn't allow this family to put their lives on the line because of all the trouble that I brought to their home. "I'm going. I can't let any of you face the vampires without me next to you. I'm the reason they're here, and I should be confronting them alone." I'm surprised at the tenacity of my own voice, yet glad that I got my point across.

"No." He takes a step towards me. "We can resolve this issue peacefully. And if need be, we have some friends in high places that can help us."

"They will not _negociate_. I told you all what happened to my family and I won't let that happen to you. If they want to take me, then I say let them. I can put up one hell of a fight when I want to." This was an issue that I am fervently invested in. I couldn't let these kind people risk their lives for _me. _

"I understand your concern, but I'm positive that we can deal with these vampires." Carlisle's soothing gaze finds my own, and I almost begin to trust what he's saying. Almost.

"We've handled vampires before, you know." He offers me a little smirk, and I instantly recall the night that he found me, being drained by one of those monsters. My fingers instinctively move to my throat, brushing over the slightly raised crescent shaped scar on the right side. "Esme and Bella, would you please stay here with the girls? It's safer for you all to remain in the house," he continues.

Bella opens her mouth as if to dispute this. I could tell that she wanted to be out there with them as much as I did. Edward turned his still-intense eyes on her, as if begging her not to argue. Her lips closed as she placed an arm around her daughter's shoulders.

"I'll stay," she breathes.

Esme nods in agreement. "The girls aren't safe out there. It's better this way." Somehow, I couldn't help feeling like this is directed at me.

"Good." Carlisle places a kiss on his wife's cheek, the gesture so simple yet full of love. I don't have to see Esme's eyes filled with concern to know that she's worried. And I feel terrible knowing that I cause this.

Edward similarly kisses Bella and Ness on the forehead. "We'll be back in a short while," he tells them.

"I'm sure Alice has had a vision of the vampires by now. We better leave to catch up with them now." Carlisle leads the way out of the office, and Edward follows him, looking over his shoulder at his family.

I sincerely hope that Alice had foreseen the vampires on their way to the area. But what I was counting on was that she wouldn't see me coming. I remember back to yesterday, when Alice explained her psychic abilities to me. And I knew that there was a loophole to her gift. She couldn't _see _hybrids.

I wasn't going to hide behind this family when I had caused all of these problems for them. I need to face this issue, my issue, head on. I am determined to find out where my brother was and make sure they paid for what they did to me.

**VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVV**

Not a whole lot of action in this chapter either, but I felt it was important to remind everyone that Roman is still on the top of Gabriella's priority list! Leave any comments, suggestions, reviews, etc! I appreciate everything I get! Thanks


	7. Chapter 7: A New Attraction

Hey everyone! Sorry that I'm a couple days late on the update, but I'm sure this super long chapter will make up for it Long by my standards, anyway. Thanks to everyone who reviewed over the past week. Seriously, every time I read a new review I get this big goofy smile on my face that I can't get rid of. So keep em coming! Oh and I mention it in this chapter, but I just wanted to clarify that the Cullens now live in Maine in a town called Caribou. I took a little literary license and decided that there is barely any sunshine in this town. It is in fact a real place, if anyone is curious.

So some big things happen in this chapter, just for a heads up! I can't wait to see everyone's response

**Chapter 7: A New Attraction**

"_I said you got me where you want me again  
>And I can't turn away<br>I'm hanging by thread and I'm feelin' like a fool  
>I'm stuck here in-between<br>The shadows of my yesterday  
>I want to get away<br>I need to get away"_

_~Back Against the Wall, Cage the Elephant_

The den is surrounded with metal shades protecting the walls made of windows from intruders. Even with the reinforcement, I know that I vampire could easily break through it with a little effort.

"Mom," Renesmee says quietly. "We should be out there, too."

Bella moves closer to her daughter on the leather L-shaped sofa and wraps an arm around her. "This is so you're safe, Ness. Nothing is going to happen." It sounds like she's trying to convince herself more than Renesmee.

I'm sitting cross legged on the authentic Iraqi rug on the wooden floors, still in my pajamas. I looked down at my black and worn Ramones t-shirt (one of the few garments that I managed to pack from my old house) and a pair of white polka-dotted thin cotton shorts. I remember pulling them out of the dresser in my room and seeing the eighty-six dollar price tag on them. I roll my eyes, just thinking about paying that much for a scrap of fabric.

I run a hand through my tangled hair. I still have bedhead and my fingers get knotted in my golden locks. Ness and Esme laugh quietly as I yank my hand out of my hair.

"Here, let me help," Esme offers. She leaves the den so quickly that all I can make out is a blur and in a split second, she's back with a brush in her hand and a small smile on her heart-shaped face.

I nod and smile back. She sits beside me, grabbing a handful of my thick hair, and pulls the brush from the roots towards the ends, which almost skim against the floor.

"You have beautiful hair, Gabriella," she says, concentrating on getting through the tangles.

"Thanks. I get it from my mom." The last part of my statement was almost a murmur. I twirl a lock of hair around a finger absent-mindedly, pretending that Esme was my mother, brushing through my knots carefully, trying not to pull too hard.

I abruptly mentally wake myself. I needed to get out of here before the Cullens get too far ahead of me.

"I, um, have to use the bathroom," I say, knowing that I'm a pathetic liar.

Esme removes the brush from my hair. "Oh, okay. You know where it is, Gabby."

I smile at her and wave at Renesmee and Bella on my way out. That may have seemed strange, but I didn't know when the next time I would see them, considering my plan.

I leave the living room, trying to go a normal pace. As soon as I was out of their sight, I dashed to the half-bath down the hall, rattling the door knob loudly, to let them know that I was there. I shut the door, as if I had gone inside.

As anxiety began to flood through my body, adrenaline sent me flying through the house past the foyer and to the front door. I try to turn the knob, but I realize that it's locked. I close my eyes in frustration, and quickly open them back up to look at the keypad beside the gigantic wooden doorframe. The digit pad is lit with green lighting, glowing gently.

_Shit. _I didn't think about this. The Cullens were such paranoid freaks. I know that was harsh, but I'm almost too aggravated to feel guilty about that thought.

Suddenly, I feel fingertips on my forearm. Before I can intake my breath, I hear Renesmee's voice in my mind. _Where are you going?_

I turn to look into her chocolate colored eyes. I have to glance downward in order to see her face. I plead with her using my eyes, not wanting to risk Bella or Esme coming to investigate. She knows where I'm planning on going.

After a moment, she rolls her eyes and smiles at me. _I would go with you, but stalling my mom and grandma seems like a more pressing matter._

I mouth the words "Thank you" to her as she punches the digits into the lock pad. It beeps and I can hear a lock unclick in the door.

"Ness?" I hear Bella call from the den.

I throw open the heavy front door and race down the steps and into the lawn, inhaling deeply trying to pin-point Carlisle and Edward's scent.

My sense of smell points me west, and I can faintly make out Edward's sunshine-and-honeysuckle aroma. I race in their direction, barefoot and with my hair flailing wildly behind me.

As soon as I hit the tree line, I surrounded by a familiar comfort; the soothing atmosphere of the forest. I can hear crickets chirping and howls hooing from miles away. I'm filled with a sense of familiarity and assurance as I zig-zag my way through the trees. The woods are where I belong.

I enjoy the moment while it lasts, knowing full well that I might not get a chance to run freely like this for a long time.

Edward's aroma becomes stronger, and I faintly smell Alice and Jasper's scents entwined with his. Good. They must have found each other.

My feet pound harder into the dirt and twigs snap across my skin as I pick up my pace. I was at least six miles west of the Cullen house by now and I must be getting close.

I come to a screeching halt as I hear Carlisle's angelic voice drifting out to me.

"She's not here." I can make that much out. The response is murmured, probably undetectable to human ears, even from a close distance.

I quickly leap across the forest floor, trying not to make a sound. My feet barely touch the ground as I attempt to sneak up on the ambushing vampires.

Just ahead, I can make out a group of seven vampires. I want to breathe a sigh of relief, seeing that we out-number the enemy, but I hold it in, afraid that one of them might hear me.

The Cullens are standing with their backs toward me. I can make out Carlisle's silhouette against the pale moonlight. His blonde hair looks pure white under the moon. Fitting. He's probably the most decent vampire on Earth.

Edward is to his right, half standing half crouching in a protective stance. His hands are balled into fists and I know that he can't wait to kill the vampires.

I'm relieved to see tiny Alice and Jasper there as well, ready to fight.

Just over their shoulders, three figures clad in the ominous dark capes that I had come to fear stand, regarding the Cullens with unnerved stances. Hopefully this meant that they hadn't come to fight.

I take a deep breath in, trying to make as little noise as possible.

_I'll see you soon,_ I think, directing my thoughts toward Roman, wherever he was. If I was captured, as I planned on being, then I could find my twin and leave the Cullens completely unharmed. They didn't deserve to carry my burden for me and I had no right dowsing their family in danger. I know that this plan is a long-shot and I had no idea what would happen to me once I was taken captive, but I had to try. I don't know what else to do.

I creep along, gaining mere inches with each step. My body freezes as I accidentally place my right foot on a twig. The ensuing snap that gave way from the broken stick sounds like a head-on collision as it resonates in my ear. Terror floods through my body as seven vampire heads instantly turn in my direction.

One of the enemy vampires inhales deeply, and I know that I have been recognized. As my fear rapidly increases, I can feel another emotion take over. It's less of a feeling and more of an instinct, hard-wired into my brain. One that I had only experienced once before.

Suddenly, the moonlit forest around me adapts to a new blue landscape. I spin my head around wildly, hoping to find some form of natural coloring somewhere, yet only finding blue. I note that I am still the same as usual, however.

"Carlisle!" I call out. I want him to see me, to notice that I'm here.

None of them are looking at me. Their eyes wander through the landscape, attempting to discover the source of the noise. I run ahead, stopping just behind the Cullens. "Carlisle!" I scream, almost directly in his ear.

He doesn't notice.

No, no no no! This can't be happening! The one time I actually want to get caught and I can't because of my stupid shield, or whatever Carlisle called it.

"Where did she go?" The vampire in the middle of the group steps forward, throwing the hood back from his head. His dirty blonde hair falls from out of the hood and lies around the vampire's face, framing the blood-red eyes.

"Where did who go?" Alice asks innocently.

"I'm here!" I cry out. "I'm right here!" I wave my arms fanatically in front of them, even going as far as to stand directly in front of the blonde vampire. His eyes hover on me for a split second, and I think he sees me but his gaze moves onward, scouting out the forest.

This was not the way I had envisioned this.

"She's not here," Edward seethes. "We don't know who you are talking about."

"Her scent covers these parts," the blonde one shoots back. "It was especially predominant where we found a small amount of the charred ashes of our associate, Solomon."

A shudder sweeps through me, remembering his teeth sinking into my throat. I had never known his name, and I would have preferred if I still didn't.

"We are regretfully sorry for your loss," Carlisle states in a calm, business-like manner. "But I'm afraid that my coven is not aware of a hybrid on our territory."

"Come to think of it," the vampire broods, "I believe there were traces of your scent as well as his at the site of our dear friend's demise," he continues, gesturing towards Edward.

"It is _our _territory." Edward interjects. "We can go where we please on it. Your friend was the one trespassing, just as you are now."

The vampire blinks, and turns to stare at Edward."Is that a threat?"

Carlisle holds his hands up in a defensive gesture. "We do not wish to fight, but we will if we deem it necessary." As his sentence ends, the wind begins to pick up. A gust suddenly rushes past us, and as my aroma blows past their hyper-sensitive noses, I know that everyone realizes that I was mere feet behind just minutes ago.

"She's here!" One of the other vampires hisses.

The trio begin snarling viciously, looking in every direction for where I might have gone.

Edward and Jasper return the snarls with very animalistic noises themselves, barring their teeth and posing to pounce.

Carlisle stands in a less aggressive manner, but still obviously preparing to fight.

"Tell us where she is," the leader of the small group says, "and we won't kill you."

None of the Cullens say anything.

The vampire on the left suddenly leaps forward in a swift movement, and the other two follow suit. One springs toward Alice and she moves slightly to the right, avoiding his offense. Predicting her opponent's every move, Alice dodges and evades every one of their skillful swings and kicks.

The vampire lets out a final hiss as Jasper twists his head off violently, followed by the sound of metal scraping against stone.

He tosses the head a few feet away as the body falls to the ground, still groping for its severed counterpart.

Edward is against the blonde vampire, moving gracefully and with speed even in the face of death. I glance at Carlisle; hoping that he is handling himself, just in time to witness him tear both arms off of his opponent. I gasp, not expecting that kind of hostility from him. The body without a head is still crawling after the missing part, searching blindly on the ground.

I instantly reach my foot out and kick the head sharply away about 20 feet.

The body begins to crawl in that direction, just as I feel a hand clamp down on my mouth.

I shriek against the palm of the hand, tearing at the arm attached to it with my nails. It drags me backward until I'm out of the small clearing and out of the violence.

I'm still screaming wildly, although I know that in my current shield-state no one could hear me.

"Stop shrieking." The voice is obviously male and commanding.

I close my mouth, remembering my original plan. I wanted to be captured.

His hands spin me around, and I'm looking at a man about one inch taller than me. Unlike my body, however, his is pact with muscles and it's obvious that he would win in a fight between us hands down.

His skin in tan and his light brown hair falls just over his eyes. He looks down at me and I gasp again. His eyes are an odd silvery blue color, instead of the crimson red that I was expecting. He's not a vampire, I realize. He's a hybrid.

I note how his heart beat flutters at a high rate, almost matching my own beat for beat except for mine is going at a rapid pace due to the adrenaline seeping through me.

Once again, I'm dumbfounded. I finally notice that he isn't bathed in a bluish tint like the rest of the world seems to be. He's normal, completely naturally colored. I glance at his black jeans and crème colored t-shirt and am almost relieved to see someone who isn't blue right now.

"The infamous Gabriella," he breathes, his hands still gripping my shoulders. Infamous? I barely had friends, let alone enough to make me infamous. I didn't even have a Facebook account, for God's sake.

I furrow my eyebrows, still amazed that this hybrid could see me when no one else could.

"How can you see me?" I murmur, allowing curiosity to gain the better of me.

"That's not important right now," he says. "I need you to come out of your self defense."

"What?" I ask. I was too confused to comprehend what he wanted. This hybrid could see me, yet none of the other vampires could. He wasn't affected by my shield.

"Calm yourself down. Unless you want your friends slaughtered, including the other three back at the house, you need to turn your shield off."

Shield. Now there was something that I had heard before. But after hearing him mention Bella, Ness, and Esme, I was flooded with worry. They knew that there were more of us, including another hybrid.

He continues on in a calming and low tone. In an almost seductive voice, he lowers his head to my ear and says, "Take a deep breath and calm down, Gabriella." His grip on my arms loosens and I feel slightly numb after he had squeezed so hard on my shoulders.

I know that there is a worried and panicked look in my green eyes, but I do as he says. I take a deep breath and exhale slowly, attempting to calm myself enough to slip out of this state.

"That's it," he murmurs, almost in a whisper.

I close my eyes and allow for his soothing voice to fill me. I needed the vampires to see that I was here so that they would leave the Cullens alone, hopefully forever. It was my chance to try and make things right.

With another deep breath, I open my eyes and see that the world is as it should be. Under the moonlight, the trees sway in shades of dark greens and blacks. The full moon is now as white as it had always been.

"Come with me," the hybrid says. He takes my hand and leads my back to where I can still hear the fighting happening.

Suddenly, a loud snarl ripples out from behind us. I freeze, knowing full well that that noise did not come from a vampire. It was far too primal, too animalistic to come from an anthropomorphic being.

The other hybrid knows it too, and he immediately takes off running towards the small clearing.

I'm too petrified to move. The hairs on the back of my neck and arms stand on end.

My breathing becomes more rapid and ragged and my throat begins to clench up.

I feel warmth of breath on my back and my hair flutters as the air blows through it. Something wet presses against my shoulder and I can feel it seep through the worn fabric of my shirt.

The creature suddenly growls so intensely that I can feel it reverberate through my bones. I immediately take off running, darting quickly between the tall trees. I pass through the clearing, terrified that no one is there anymore. I continue running through the woods, running for my life. I didn't know what this thing was, but I knew that it was not with the other vampires.

I can hear faint huffing behind me as the predator begins catching up on me. Loud thuds ring into my ears as its feet hit the ground. There were too many of them to equate to two feet. This thing was an animal with at least four legs.

I try to catch Edward or Carlisle's scent, hoping to outrun the monster long enough to get to them, but as I hear jaws snap behind my head, I shift all of my attention to running faster than this creature.

My bare feet pound harder into the dirt and my speed increases. By its heavy breathing, I can tell that the animal is having a hard time keeping up with me. I was far more agile and could easily weave in between the trees far better than it could.

"Gabby!" I hear my name being called in the distance. I turn my head slightly to better hear where the voice came from. At least someone was looking for me. Maybe they'll smell my scent and come after me.

It the split second that I wasn't paying attention, I stumble on a fallen branch. Damn my clumsiness! I always knew that it would be the death of me.

The animal soon gains on me, and for a second I can't hear its feet thudding on the ground. With a feeling of dread, I realize that it has leapt into the air. I whip my body around just in time to see an enormous wolf launching itself at me with full force. Its paws this my chest and I immediately slam onto the ground.

My eyelids flutter after the impact of hitting the forest floor for what seems like the millionth time. Pinning me to the ground with its front paws, the wolf is staring at me with an extreme intensity.

I peer into its eyes, its deep mahogany eyes, and realize that they are the eyes of a human. I suddenly realize that I'm staring at Jacob Black, the notorious shapeshifter. His scent swarms around me, somehow similar yet strikingly different from the aroma of the woods around us and I can't believe that I didn't realize it was him sooner.

His muzzle moves to hover slightly over my cheek as he continues to stare at me. His expression is so intense, so intimate that I'm tempted to look away. His eyes are clouded with a million emotions that I can't read.

"Jacob?" I whisper, not wanting to startle the gigantic wolf holding me down. He blinks in surprise, and sniffs my neck and across my face.

Cautiously, I reach my arm out, despite the paw leaning on my shoulder. As gently as I could possibly make it, my fingertips brush against the fur on his face. He leans into my palm at the touch, and I stroke the soft russet fur, fascinated by Wolf Jacob. It was so odd hearing so much about him from Renesmee and suddenly seeing him in the flesh on top of me.

This wasn't the way I'd imagined us meeting.

I scratch behind Jacob's ear, and giggle when his muzzle forms into what can only be described as a wolfy grin.

Suddenly, I can feel the enormous body on top of me begin to shrink. I stare in confusion as the fur recedes back into tanned skin and the wolf features begin to melt into human ones. I realize that he's shifting.

The paws on my shoulders slowly become hands, and I can feel long fingers from under the thin fabric of my t-shirt.

Soon, I'm staring face-to-face with Jacob, the man that I had seen so many times in Renesmee's head. Her thoughts didn't seem to do him justice. His shaggy black hair glistens softly under the moonlight and I can just make out the defined features of his face. He's got a little bit of stubble along his jawline, presumably from making the cross-country trek from Washington back to Caribou, Maine, the Cullen's new home.

I realize my hand is still resting on his cheek. It feels like an electric charge is pulsing from his skin to mine.

I wouldn't mind sitting here like this forever.

My mouth twists into a small smile thinking about this, and I turn my eyes downward.

"Oh my God!" I say, almost too loudly. I squirm out from underneath him, knowing that this would look awful if one of the Cullens caught me like this. "You're naked!"

**VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VV**

Okay, so obviously something just went down. Feel free to guess or to give any feedback in the reviews. If anyone has any questions, please send me a PM and I will respond as soon as possible Next chapter I'm going to attempt a Jacob POV to clarify a few things that happened in this chapter, so keep an eye out!


	8. Chapter 8: A New Horizon

Hey everyone! Sorry it's been so long, but this year has been crazy! Lately, I've been inspired to continue writing and decided to pick up New Horizons again. To make up for such a late update, I've tried to make this chapter extra long :) Thank you all for your support and patience.

Hopefully, this update will answer some questions from the past and clarify some major points in the story. Anyway, on to the show!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the rights to the Twilight franchise, etc, etc.

Chapter 8: A New Horizon

"_It all began so easily__  
><em>_A look from you, a glance from me__  
><em>_Then our eyes met like thunder & lightning__  
><em>_You and I, strangers lost in a moment__  
><em>_Eye to eye__  
><em>_We were caught unaware of the passion inside us."_

_~Love at First Sight (Styx) _

**_Jacob:_**

The night is clear and the sky is dark as I speed down the winding highway on the back of my Harley. The engine's rumble fills my ears as trees and the forest scenery flash by me. The wind tears at my face and bare arms, but I could care less. The only thing on my mind is her.

My other half. My soulmate.

_Renesmee. _

Two weeks apart had been far too long. I ached to be near her, to protect her. But my pack needed me. My father needed me.

With Billy's health taking a drastic turn for the worse and a nomadic clan of vampires roaming alarmingly close to the Cullen's old territory I was obligated to return to La Push as both a son and an Alpha.

As my second in command, Leah had done a good job of working with Sam's pack to keep the coven at bay, but a half a dozen campers and trail-hikers had disappeared by the time I had arrived. The vampires' victims were beginning to draw suspicion among the people of Forks and the surrounding area.

Taking care of the three newborn vampires had been easy enough. Once we caught a trail, tracking the bloodsuckers had been simple as cake. Disposing of them had been nothing short of fun. Seth Clearwater in particular had enjoyed ripping the vamps apart and ending their short-lived killing spree.

Where ending the bloodsucker menace had been disappointingly effortless, seeing my father in his state of poor health had been difficult to witness. The vampires had been pivotal in causing my return to La Push, but the main reason had been Billy's heart attack.

I had known that Billy's health had been slowly deteriorating in the months leading up to the heart attack, but even when I got the call from Rachel, I was still in shock. I left the next day, hastily buying the first airplane ticket back to Washington and driving my Harley to the nearest airport, a smaller one located in Bangor two and a half hours away.

The flight had been excruciatingly long, although I knew it was the fastest way back to La Push. I never thought that I would be thankful that Paul Lahote had imprinted on my sister Rachel, but because of that, she had permanently moved back to La Push, having married Paul two years back, and has since become Billy's main caretaker. Although it was a tight fit, both Paul and Rachel had moved into his house in order to be closer to Billy.

And I had to admit, the house looked better than it had in decades. Paul had begun adding on to it, expanding the living room and constructing a new bedroom and an extra bath. He had given the house a fresh coat of paint and re-shingled the roof. Rachel had placed flower boxes under the windows and had started a garden in the back yard between my old makeshift garage and the house. It was slowly beginning to resemble Sam and Emily's modest yet homey cottage.

While the house looked better than ever, that same could not be said for my father. Billy had gone from being confined to a wheelchair to a bed. After the heart attack, he spent the better half of the two weeks that I was there in a hospital. Only when he was declared stable enough to return home and the doctors promised me that another heart attack wasn't likely did I consider returning to Maine.

Billy was the one who actually persuaded me to come back. Although I tried to hide it as best as I could, I missed Renesmee with every fiber in my body. I just needed to be near her. Even Paul, who could be a colossal asshole, was sympathetic, assuring me that Ness was fine with her vampire family protecting her. Seeing Quil with Claire had only further reminded me of Ness. Almost seven years old, Claire had grown extremely attached to Quil. He was happy to see me again, but was always eager to babysit Claire after school every day. And I didn't blame him. Embry and Seth would mock him when he'd leave, saying that he might as well be her father for how much time he spent with her and calling him Nanny Quil, but we all knew what imprinting meant. It's something that can't be controlled or ignored. That was what Billy had told me, the day before I left.

"You need her, and she needs you," he had said, his voice raspy and almost a whisper. "Go, son. I've got Rachel to watch over me. And besides, she cooks better than you do," he mocked with a laugh that instigated a coughing fit.

The past two weeks had been exhausting, but I knew everything would be better once I saw Ness again.

I picture her blushing face, heavy copper ringlets falling to her slender waist. It was odd seeing her as more of a woman than a child now. At almost six years old, Ness was nearing the end of her development. And I had noticed.

Unfortunately, so had her father.

Edward was always there, scanning my thoughts when I was around Nessie. Before, this had been annoying, but not intolerable. I felt like a protective older brother and a best friend to Ness. But lately, I had to guard my thoughts more and more. He was someone I was not looking forward to seeing.

I round a twisting corner in the narrowing road, and suddenly, I catch a whiff of something I hoped I would never smell this close to the Cullens' home.

_Bloodsuckers. _

And not the Cullens' scent. This was far more poignant. My eyes begin to water at the intensity of the vampire stench.

Immediately, I drive the bike to the side of the road and jump off, sprinting into the woods. I could make out three distinct variations of the scent, meaning three vampires.

I launch myself into the air, allowing the anger and hate that filled me to summon the wolf. My body grows larger and hairier, finally bursting from my Levi's and simple grey t-shirt. Paws in the place of hands hit the forest floor.

I bound deeper into the forest, frantically sniffing for the source of the odor.

I come to a screeching halt when another smell hits me.

It's an aroma that blends with the scents of the woods surrounding me, not as strong as the bleach-like vampire stench. Instead, this smells of nature, of freshly fallen rain, of a field of wildflowers in bloom.

It's tantalizing.

I turn east, following the trail of the irresistible scent intermingled with the putrid vampire odor.

My snout picks up the Cullens scents as well. Not the week-old trails left around their territory, but freshly made ones.

They're out here, with the other vampires.

Thankfully, I don't sense Ness's scent anywhere near here.

Suddenly, a metallic screeching noise penetrates my ears. I know that terrible yet satisfying sound as a vampire being torn to shreds. I take off sprinting after the source of the noise through the darkness of the forest. It begins to multiply, and I can make out the scuffled sounds of a fight happening and vampires growling.

Soundlessly, I enter a small clearing and once again stop in my tracks.

Standing less than twenty feet from me is a young couple. The enticing aroma from before engulfs me, and I realize that this girl is the source of it. It's so powerful that I can't help but edge closer to them. Her back is to me, her golden tangles of hair flowing down it, almost white under the pale moonlight. She's wearing what look like pajama shorts and is barefoot.

My gaze slowly travels down her long and slender legs, as the boy murmurs softly in her ear, gripping her shoulders.

"Take a deep breath and calm down, Gabriella…that's it."

The girl does what he says, and for the first time I notice the sound of their hearts fluttering at a rapid pace, just like Renesmee's.

They're _hybrids_. Both of them.

"Come with me," the boy tells her, grasping her hand in his. He starts off in the direction of where the metallic sounds are coming from. Where the fight is.

Where the Cullens are.

My mind grows frantic as I realize that these two must be with the vampires, remembering the intermingled scents of the girl and the bloodsuckers. They're going to attack the Cullens, too.

My realization suddenly swells into anger and I let a thunderous snarl erupt from deep in my throat. The sound reverberates through the woods, and the couple stops dead in their tracks.

The male soon recuperates however, and takes off into the forest, rapidly making his escape. I could deal with him later. The female was not as quick as the other, it appeared. She stood frozen in front of me. I edged closer until my snout was against her shoulder blade. Her scent was still enticing to me, despite the fact that she was with the trespassing leeches. Against only the fabric of her t-shirt, it was stronger now, filling my nostrils and penetrating my mind. Out of frustration with my infatuation with her aroma, I growl, still positioned directly behind her.

Immediately, she sprints into the woods, suddenly regaining her senses.

I bound after her, my paws hitting the ground with such force that the sound becomes deafening. I won't let this one escape. Not after her coven threatens Renesmee.

My determination and searing anger propels me forward, moving faster than before.

But she eludes me, gliding between trees as agile as a bird and faster than I thought any hybrid could manage.

My breathing becomes labored as I struggle to keep up with the girl. In my frustration, I snap my jaws in her direction, hoping to intimidate her. Damn, she was fast. But I had to be faster.

"Gabby!" A voice suddenly calls from somewhere in the forest. I'm concentrating too hard on the hybrid to make out if it was one of the Cullens or not.

But apparently, she isn't as focused as I am.

For a split second, her head turns slightly, as if trying to hear where the voice came from. In that moment, she stumbles on a loose branch.

Hybrids. Never as lethally graceful as a full vampire.

I see my window of opportunity as she struggles to regain ground from her slip. Her coven was threatening Nessie. Anger swelled in me, stronger than before, accompanied by a raging desire to protect Renesmee. Taking a bounding leap, I launch my body into the air, paws extended, just in time to see her whip around, faster than lightning.

As my body slams into hers, she hits the ground with a thud and is pinned beneath my paws. But something stops me from going in for the killing blow.

She's turned her piercing emerald eyes on me, her gaze as cool as the sea, and the world stops turning. I've been torn from reality.

The anger that had fueled my crazed pursuit of the hybrid was suddenly shifting. The heat inside of my body was transforming. No longer was it a burning fire fed by my desire to defend Renesmee and my hatred for these invading vampires.

It was a glowing.

A feeling so intense, I had only experienced it once before.

Everything that made me who I am, what makes me Jacob Black, suddenly comes undone as I stare into the hypnotic jade eyes of the girl lying beneath me. Like the very threads that hold my soul together are being torn apart. My unconditional love for the copper-haired girl waiting for my return, my dedication to my dying father, my hatred for my enemies, my loyalty to my pack, my family, my very _self_. All of it, suddenly thrust into empty space, waiting to be pieced back together to fit this girl and her green eyed gaze into my life.

There is sense in the chaotic jumble of all that I was once. It's here, in the face of this mysterious hybrid.

A new meaning for life. A new center of the universe. A new horizon.

The gravity that once held me to this Earth is meaningless. The force that keeps me tied to reality is suddenly split between two beings.

I have two reasons to live.

Two girls to love irrevocably.

Two cores that are now the very centers of all that I am, and ever will be from this moment on.

**VVVVVVVVVV**

A sound brings me back down from this infinite moment. The only sound that could reach me in this instant.

"Jacob?"

Her whisper is soft, full of curiosity. Hearing my name spoken from her lips is pure bliss, even in the chaotic nirvana of the moment.

I'm in shock that this blonde, beautiful girl knows my name. I blink in surprise.

I'm abruptly aware of the intoxicating aroma that comes from her. The scent of fresh fallen rain and wildflowers surrounds us, both similar yet distinct from the forest's own smells.

I lean my head down to fully enjoy the smell of her skin, running my muzzle across her collarbone and throat, and finally her face, still in a trance from the euphoria of the previous moment.

As if trying not to scare me away, the girl slowly reaches a pale hand upward, brushing her finger tips across the fur on my face. Her touch is electrifying. I feel the nerves in my body suddenly wake up, as if on high alert. I feel alive. I lean into her hand, prompting her to reach further up and scratch behind my ear.

I smile as much as I can in wolf form, and she giggles in response. The peal of laughter that escapes her is melodic and irresistible. The softness of it lingers within me, and it this moment, I feel so tranquil, so serene, that I feel my body slowly transform back into my human self.

Fur recedes into skin, long canines into human teeth, my arms and legs shrink back to their normal forms.

I see the wonder in her emerald gaze, not the least bit surprised of what she's witnessing.

I feel her skin touching mine, as her hand still rests on my cheek. The awe in her eyes slowly turns to something I can't read, as she glances between my own eyes and her hand against my face.

All I know is that the effect her touch has on me has grown. Bare skin on bare skin, the electricity I felt before has tripled, nerves standing on end. Our faces are only inches apart, and under the moonlight, she looks like a pale goddess, golden hair flayed about her in all directions.

She gives a small smile, and turns her gaze down.

"Oh my God!" Her eyebrows furrow and she squirms her way out from underneath me, her face twisted in shock. "You're naked!"

"Shit, oh my god…shit!" How could I have been so stupid? Why did I let myself shift back?

She moves back in the dirt and stands, turning abruptly, with her back to me.

Quickly, I jerk myself upright, standing about 9 inches above her. Even so, I notice that she is tall for a girl.

"I'm so sorry," I say starting to move towards her, completely naked. I stop myself before I reach her, realizing the sense that I'm making, which is little to none. Of course she doesn't want an apology, she just wants me to cover myself.

Having shred my last pair of clothes, I run off into the forest to shift away from her. Transforming from wolf to human in her presence had been one thing, but shifting the other way was something much more dangerous.

I trot back to where she is, once again in wolf form. For the second time that night, I press my nose gently against her shoulder blade through the fabric of her t-shirt. She unclenches her fists, and slowly turns.

We see almost eye to eye.

"It's nice to finally meet you," she says, her voice as soft as a whisper.

Finally meet me? It dawns on me that she knew my name before. But…how?

I jerk backward, suddenly recalling that I was chasing her because she was with the other vampires.

She looks confused. "Wait, Jacob…"

"Gabriella!" It's the same voice as before, except closer. Gabriella_. _That must be her name, since I had heard it multiple times tonight.

_Gabriella…_

Her gaze turns to my side as Carlisle appears beside me, moving in the silent way that all vampires do.

"What are you doing out here?" he asks her. He sounds…concerned. How does Carlisle know this hybrid?

"I'm sorry Carlisle, I just couldn't let you fight my battles for me. I had to do…something." She sounds sincerely apologetic.

In a flash, he moves to where she stands, placing a hand on her should in an almost fatherly gesture. "You're alright?"

She nods, giving a small smile.

Confused, I let a bark escape my jaws to remind Carlisle that I have no idea _what the hell is happening. _

"I see you've met Jacob, Gabby." He turns to face me. His usually composed blonde hair is disheveled. His clothes have tears in them. It's obvious that he was a part of the fighting. He smiles lightly in my direction. "It's good to see you again. I hope you didn't cause Gabriella any more fright."

I bark again, hoping to tell him that I want to know _what _has been happening while I was gone. I needed answers, and I needed them now.

"We will explain everything once we're back at the house," he says, as if understanding. "Everyone is safe, for now."

"For now," Edward repeats as he steps out from the trees. "Carlisle, we need to do something about those vampires. If there are more, they need to be dealt with immediately. We cannot have them threatening our family." He nods in my direction, in acknowledgment. "Jacob."

His gaze moves to look away from me, but it lingers, and for a split second I see a million emotions flit across his features. The last being anger.

His freaking telepathy, I suddenly remember. I roll my eyes, and he shoots a glare at me.

"We should discuss it back at the house," Carlisle states. "Did you burn the bodies?"

Edward nods, and I see the beginnings of an orange haze start to blaze in the forest behind him. A fire. The scent of burning vampire flesh soon follows.

"We should go back now, I'm sure the rest are worried sick." Carlisle motions for Gabriella to follow him, and she does. She glances at me as they race back into the woods and back towards the Cullen estate.

I turn to follow the duo, but as I do, Edward stops me.

"We need to talk."

_About what? _ I shoot back, directing it mentally at him in a way to show my annoyance. He was keeping me from Renesmee. From...Gabriella.

He seethes at me. "I am not in the best of moods right now, _Jacob._ You will tell me what just happened, and you'll do it soon if you know what's best for you."

_What are you talking about?_ I angrily huff. Although I knew what he meant. What happened with that girl. With Gabriella. That seemingly endless moment in which nothing else was important…except her.

"That. _That_ is what I'm talking about," he says, talking a step towards me. "Jacob, do you realize what this is? Don't you see it through your thick skull?"

It was something I had only known once before, something that changed my life forever. But it couldn't be that. I couldn't have…imprinted. Not twice. That's not possible.

"Are you sure?" Edward questions. "Because it seems to me that is what happened. I can _feel_ your thoughts Jacob, the intensity of them. I know what you think of her."

No, it can't be. Sure, it felt similar, but it just _can't be_. Renesmee is my imprint, my other half, not this girl.

Yet the thought of her clouds my mind. I long to follow her into the woods as much as I long to see Ness again. But…how can this happen? And why in the hell is it happening to me? Haven't I gone through enough imprinting on one hybrid, let alone two?

Anger is clear in his voice when he speaks again. "Do you understand the implications of this? You have imprinted _twice_, Jacob. As much as I would love to blame this on you, I know that I can't. You obviously haven't accepted what has happened, and I know that you're confused. But you will _not_ let this affect Renesmee. She loves you as one of the family, much to my dismay. Once she learns that she's your imprint, you know what that will do to her. She won't let you go."

_I would _never_ hurt Renesmee, Edward. You know that. _Just because no one had told her officially that she was my imprint, she knew. Our bond was far too deep to be a simple friendship. I was too committed to her for that.

And I'd be damned if I let this other girl ruin that. Gabriella. Regardless of what happened, I would not let her get in the way of Ness and I.

"No, you will not hurt Gabriella, either." Edward states. His anger has subsided into frustration. He pinches the bridge of his nose and closes his eyes, as if thinking. "Whether you like it or not, you're bonded to her now too."

No. The finality of his statement rings in my head. _You're bonded to her now too._ I didn't even _know_ her, for God's sake. I am Renesmee's and no one else's.

Yet the tugging I feel in my heart in that moment quietly speaks the truth.

I remember what Billy had told me before I left La Push. Imprinting was a force that couldn't be controlled or ignored.

"Yes, your father was right," Edward agrees. "I don't know how to help you in this situation, Jacob. I don't know what it will mean for your future, or Renesmee's, or Gabby's. But you need to take Gabriella into consideration in your decision. She's been through so much in these past few months, you have to understand that. She didn't ask for this, just like you."

I nod slowly, taking in what Edward has said.

_I need to be alone,_ I think to him.

He returns to nod, and begins to leave. "Remember what I said, Jacob." With that, he dashes into the woods and in a split second, he's gone.

And just like that, I'm alone. Alone to revel in all that had just happened.

I remember the ecstasy of the moment with Gabriella. How it felt to look into her eyes, and how my world was turned upside-down.

Suddenly, I'm filled with rage. Why couldn't I just be normal? I had a good thing up until just now, whatever happened with that girl. It couldn't have been an imprint. I refuse to accept that it was.

Renesmee is my soulmate. My _only_ imprint.

I remember back through the years that I've spent with her, watching her grow, being her babysitter, her playmate, her big brother, her friend. And I loved every moment of it.

I was not going to let what Ness and I have be destroyed in a few moments by this girl. Gabriella. She was not going to rob me of Nessie, or Nessie of me.

Renesmee is mine, and I am hers. Nothing will stop that. Not even another imprint.

* * *

><p><strong>So, this was a pretty important chapter! Feel free to post any thoughts on this update, or any questions you may have. I love hearing what you guys think! <strong>


	9. Chapter 9: A New Impasse

Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry for the late update. It really does mean a lot to me that people continue to read even after the huge hiatus. I do plan on finishing the story, getting to that point is the fuzzy part. I'm going to try and post every week to every other week from here on out. It really is the reviews that keeps me writing :') I'm also considering looking for a beta to help with some proofreading and inspiration, if anyone is interested :) Anyway, on with the show!

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own Twilight. D:

**Chapter 9: A New Impasse**

_"You're getting closer, to pushing me _  
><em>Off of life's little edge<em>  
><em>Cause I'm a loser and sooner or later<em>  
><em>You know I'll be dead<em>  
><em>You're getting closer, <em>  
><em>You're holding the rope <em>  
><em>And I'm taking the fall"<em>

~Loser, 3 Doors Down

**Gabriella: **

My scar is tingling.

My fingers find their way through my golden tresses to the bite mark on my neck. Just thinking about what happened last night makes me feel uneasy and sets off the sensation in the irritated, raised flesh.

_I could have been taken_. It scared me to know that they had come for me and that I had been so close to giving myself up. I shudder with relief, silently thanking the Cullens from preventing that from happening.

"Are you okay?" Renesmee asks from across the island counter in the kitchen. She looks up from her bowl of Cheerios, absentmindedly stirring the cereal with her spoon. He eyes are groggy and her copper hair is piled into a sloppy bun on the top of her head. Even after just waking up, she still manages to look beautiful.

I nod. "Better than okay, actually. Just a little shaken after yesterday."

"Gabby," she begins. "I never would have entered the key code and let you run directly into danger if I had known that you had meant to get yourself captured."

She had said as much to Carlisle last night, when he had demanded to know why I was out in the woods.

"I know." I close my eyes for a moment, trying to remember why I had thought my plan was so great in the first place. "It was a stupid idea. I just thought that if I went without a fight, I could spare your family trouble. And I couldn't think of another way of getting to Roman."

She tilts her head slightly, reaching across the granite counter top and lightly touching my forearm. _It's not stupid, _she thinks to me. _I would have done the same, if it were me in your place. _

Images flash though my mind, and one lingers. I recognize it as my own face. I realize that I'm looking at myself last night, just before Ness had opened the front door for me. My expression is determined, and in Renesmee's mind, I look like nothing could have gotten in my way. Nothing could have stopped me. My eyes are burning with tenacity and my jaw is set. In that moment I had believed in my plan, saw the positives of it. I remember feeling resent towards the fact that I was hiding behind the Cullens while they went off to fight my battles for me. The vampires had come for me, yet they were the ones who had killed them.

But last night, after the bodies had been burned and we had returned to the house, I had realized something.

The Cullens weren't my shield. They protected me yes, but together we were pitted against a common enemy now. The vampires who had come looking for me had not only been a threat to me, but had also posed a danger to the Cullens, both their way of life and their family. I had felt guilty for bringing those problems to this home. But as Carlisle explained to me last night, they could not stand by and allow vampires to threaten their coven. Including me. They were not my defenders, facing my troubles out of obligation, but my allies. My friends.

"Looking back, I actually think that what you did was very brave." Renesmee retracts her hand and takes a bite of cereal. "You just looked so determined, I couldn't help but admire you."

I give a small smile. "That means a lot, Ness."

She grins back and I take a drink from my coffee. I hadn't been able to sleep last night, and I needed the caffeine to get me through the morning.

Suddenly, Alice appears in the doorway clad in yoga pants and a sky blue crop-top. The humungous frame of the entrance to the kitchen engulfs her tiny build.

"I have good news," she says, her voice high and excited, despite the turmoil of the previous night. "I just saw Rosalie and Emmett catching the next flight back from Paris." I had learned to trust what Alice says. Her ability to see the future always turns out to be accurate in one way or another. "They must have left as soon as they heard what happened. They'll be home before nightfall."

"It will be nice to have the family together again." Renesmee is beaming and I know that she is extremely excited to see her aunt and uncle.

"Now that Jacob's back, everyone will be here," Ness continues. "About time, too. The house was beginning to feel empty."

_Jacob. _The sound of his name sends a wave of butterflies through my stomach. We hadn't spoken since our odd encounter in the forest. When he finally returned to the house last night, long after the Cullens and me, he hadn't so much as looked at me. Renesmee had run to him when he trudged through the door wearing only the sweatpants that Edward had left on the porch for him.

He had lifted her off her feet in a bear hug, saying "I've missed you so much."

Their reunion had been so intimate that I had retreated to the den, my cheeks flushed red from shame. Shame from the jealousy that had coursed through me.

Even now, I could still feel the electricity that had surged between us in the woods. That feeling had haunted me throughout the night and prevented me from sleeping. It couldn't have been only me that felt it.

The fact that he had completely disregarded me the night before had left me thinking that that was the case. Maybe it was all in my head. The connection that I thought we had made in our meeting might just be a figment of my imagination.

Maybe he had ignored me out of embarrassment. I was letting my optimism get the best of me. But we _had _met in a compromising position. I mean, he was stark naked.

I take another sip of coffee to hide my smile. I remember turning my eyes away from his and looking down. My gaze had slowly traveled down the length of his throat, past his bare torso and the defined muscles in his chest, all the way to the strip of dark hair just under his navel. I had quickly looked away then, squirming out from under him although every fiber of my body fought it. I had stood and turned immediately, my back to him and all his glory. Even as he apologized, the only thought in my mind was that I wanted _more. _

"You seem especially happy this morning, Gabby." I glance up and see Jasper standing behind Alice, his arms wrapped around her waist. The quizzical look on his face reminds me that he can feel what I'm feeling.

"I'm just excited to finally meet Rosalie and Emmett," I lie. "I've heard so much about them." In all reality, the thought of meeting them terrified me. Renesmee had described her aunt as one of the most beautiful women she'd even seen and her portrayal of Emmett had been no less intimidating. He was the biggest, strongest vampire in the house. The images that she had shared with me through her telepathy only confirmed that and had done nothing to help quell my anxiety.

"Right." He smiles, but something tells me that he knows that I'm lying.

Just then, Renesmee's iPhone vibrates on the counter next to her bowl. She reads the text she just received, grinning ear to ear.

"Mom, Dad, Jake's coming over later, as soon as he closes the shop." She speaks at a normal tone, as if they were in the same room as us. But I know that with enhanced vampire hearing, they would have heard from anywhere in the house.

I laugh when I hear Edward sigh, followed by the sound of Bella playfully slapping his arm.

I had been disappointed last night when Jacob had left, the sound of his Harley's engine filling the empty night as he sped down the Cullen's winding driveway. Ness had told me that he has a repair shop in town and had converted part of the warehouse into a spacious loft. But as she described it to me, her expression was gloomy. I knew that she was also disappointed at Jake's leaving.

"He always stays here after he's been gone," she had said, her eyebrows furrowing.

"He just has a lot on his mind," Bella had told her. "You know that Billy's health hasn't been the best and this whole business with the vampires is enough to frustrate anyone."

I finished my coffee and quickly left the kitchen, before Jasper had time to figure out the real cause of my emotions.

Back in my room, I decide to soak in the tub to clear my head. I fill it with scorching water and slowly immerse my body in the tub.

Almost an hour later, I emerge from the bathroom wrapped only in a towel, steam billowing around me as the air escapes into my bedroom. I go to my duffel bag sitting in the corner of the room. I curse under my breath when I realize that I have no clean clothes left from the ones that I had managed to take when I fled Pennsylvania.

I sigh. Knowing that I have no other option at this point, I go to the black dresser across from the bed and begin to search for clothes. Scouring the drawers, I find one filled with undergarments and I'm shocked to see that they're all my size. The bras are 32B and fit perfectly when I slip on a nude colored lacey one, not wanting to know how they managed to figure out my bra size.

Ness had warned me that Alice liked to play the fashion guru, but as I stepped into the walk-in closet to find an outfit, I still gape at the wardrobe. The clothes were almost entirely high-end and a few even looked custom made.

After thumbing through the shelves and racks, I settle on a blue cardigan on top of a white camisole paired with dark wash jeans with rips in them. I'm putting on my Converse shoes when a pair of brown leather boots catches my eye. If Alice went through the trouble of buying all of these clothes for me, then I should at least wear them. I quickly slip on the boots, taking note that they're Burberry.

The day passes uneventfully. Carlisle has gone to the hospital, despite Esme's protests. He claims that appearances needed to be upheld. He jokingly tells Nessie that she's lucky that her school is in summer vacation, or else she would be there.

I'm actually surprised to hear that Ness isn't homeschooled.

"Well, I was," she explains. "Back in Washington. But after we moved here a year ago, I thought it would be fun to go to an actual school." She had begged her parents and finally they registered her at Lincoln Academy, an all-girls private high school in the area.

"I've never gone to a real school before," I confess. "I've been homeschooled my entire life."

* * *

><p>At sunset, I'm sitting in the den when Emmett and Rosalie arrive.<p>

Anxiety fills my stomach, but I force myself to follow the Cullens to the entryway, where Emmett is piling the luggage from his and Rosalie's honeymoon. My eyes go wide when set my gaze on his daunting build. He looked bigger than he did in Ness' thoughts. His muscular and obviously powerful body is accentuated by his simple Henley tee-shirt. I gulp, having not seen a vampire of this stature ever before.

"Renesmee," Rosalie breathes when she sees Ness. She rushes to her and wraps her arms around her. It's obvious that she had been wracked with worry. The color of her eyes is an eerie black. I realize that she hasn't hunted recently and was in desperate need of blood. Her hair is pulled into a casual French twist, wisps of blonde hair falling out of place. Even though she looks exhausted, she was every bit as beautiful as in Renesmee's thoughts.

"Hey Aunt Rose." Ness returns the embrace, smiling at Rosalie. Emmett playfully musses her hair from behind.

"Where's the love for your favorite Uncle?"

The family fills the entry hall to welcome back the couple. Everyone is in high spirits, happy to have the coven together again.

"And who's this?"

I had been looking at my feet, shyly hanging behind the rest of the Cullens in the back of the hall, feeling like an intruder in their reunion. I snap my head up, when I realize that Emmett is talking about me.

Renesmee grasps my hand in hers and pulls me forward, saying "This is the hybrid we told you about. Gabriella."

Emmett whistles lowly. "Damn, you're tall for a girl." A smile spreads across his features. I laugh when he leans forward in a mock-bow. "I'm honored to meet you, Gabriella."

When he leans back up, I'm full on smiling. "It's nice to meet you too." Instantly, the intimidation I felt in his presence escapes me. I'm reminded of a story that Bella told me a few nights ago. "Is it true that Bella beat you in arm-wrestling?" Before I can stop myself, the words tumble out of my lips.

He rolls his eyes, but his smile remains intact. "One time. You just _have _to tell everyone that story, don't you Bella?"

"And you'll never live it down." She sticks her tongue out in Emmett's direction.

His booming laugh fills the hall and he rushes over to crush Bella in a bear hug.

Rosalie, on the other hand, is less then welcoming towards me. "Wonderful, another misfit to add to the bunch. Carlisle, your collection grows every day."

Renesmee lightly touches my arm, thinking to me _It's okay. She's hostile to anything and anyone new. She'll come around._

Even if she didn't, I understood. This was her home, and she had the right to be uncomfortable with my presence.

After hugs and pleasantries are exchanged, Carlisle turns to Emmett and Rosalie, a grave look on his face. "We should probably discuss what has been happening while you've been away. Some things can't be described on the phone."

They say nothing, they're smiles fading into solemn looks. It was obvious that they had been expecting as much.

Carlisle motions for them to follow him to his study. Emmett strides past me and Rosalie follows suit, but shoots daggers at me as she saunters by.

"Don't mind her, really." Ness places a comforting hand on my shoulder. "She's just upset that all of this happened while she was away. She feels powerless in the situation. Being cold is sort of a defense mechanism of hers."

"Don't I know it," Bella adds, almost under her breath as she leads Renesmee into the kitchen. Everyone else had cleared out of the foyer by now. I stand alone in the grand entry of the Cullen estate and all its silence.

"But how does she fit into all this?" I hear Rosalie say through the heavy oaken door that leads to the study, obviously in the middle of a conversation. "She just conveniently ends up here after being chased from her home by hybrid-snatching vampires? Doesn't that seem a bit suspicious to you, Carlisle?"

"In what way?" I hear his soft voice reply.

"She claims she lost everything when they came for her, yet she leads them right to our doorstep? To a coven known in the vampire world for not only having a hybrid but also a less than friendly relationship with the Volturi, to put it lightly."

"Babe," Emmett sighs. "You're reading way too far into this. She's just a girl who lost her family."

"She could be working with _them_ Em. You don't know her, you don't know what she's capable of yet."

"I do, Rosalie," Carlisle interjects. "I haven't known her for long but I do know that she is sincere in what she tells us. She would never cooperate with the vampires, she loathes them far too much for that. Edward and I found her as she was dying. Almost completely drained by a vampire, an associate of the ones who attacked last night. I couldn't possibly believe how she would ever willingly work with them."

"Whoa, hold up," Emmett starts. "Did you say she was being _drained_?"

I could imagine Carlisle's solemn nod in response. "She has the bite mark to prove it."

I realize that my fingers are on my scar again. I quickly drop them to my side. I didn't want to hear the story another time. It was like my life had spiraled miserably out of control in only a few short months. After everything I had been through, everything I had seen, I was stuck here with more questions than answers and a whole lot of pain.

As their conversation continues in the next room, I begin to feel my throat constrict and my breathing becomes more ragged. It was all just becoming too overwhelming. I have to get out of here, before someone sees me like this.

I turn to the front door and bound down the porch steps, not caring if anyone heard me leave. I wanted to be alone with my thoughts. I glance around, seeing the detached four car garage in the Cullen's meadow, about 50 meters from the house. I hurriedly rush to it as the tears threaten to fall. Flinging open the side door, I sink to the floor in the space between Carlisle's Mercedes and the wall, concealing myself in the solace of the shadows.

I had known that meeting Rosalie and Emmett would be intimidating, but on top of the vampire attack last night, I couldn't handle it all. I had been cruelly reminded of my brother's kidnapping and of the fact that I alone was powerless to save him. Who was I kidding? I didn't have some kind of grand plan to get him back. I didn't even know where to begin. I was playing the part of Nancy Drew without any clues to go off of. No hunches, no ideas. Just a lot of frustration and pain. And above all, fear. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm _scared._ I feel utterly useless in this whole situation. Like a pawn in a game I didn't realize I was playing. And with Rosalie accusing me of working _with_ the vampires, all of my previous guilt came flooding back, hitting me with the strength of a wrecking ball.

I feel a hot tear stubbornly force its way down my cheek. I had promised myself that I wouldn't cry anymore, that I needed to be stronger. But it felt so good to let out my frustrations that I didn't stop myself. I let the tears fall and before I know it, I'm sobbing, my arms wrapped around my knees. I hated being this vulnerable, hated the way that it made me feel like I was freefalling into a dark abyss of misery, with no hope of escaping.

"What are you doing in here?" A voice suddenly says, startling me so much that I immediately stop crying.

I quickly jump to my feet, wiping the tears off of my face with the back of my hand.

"I, um…nothing…I was just…" I stop, once I realize who is standing in the door way of the garage. I curse myself for coming here when I knew he was coming. I should have noticed. His overwhelming scent, the sound of his bike, all of it.

Jacob moves to lean against the wall in all his tan-skinned glory, wearing a black, worn, leather jacket, jeans, and a pair of motorcycle boots. Just the sight of him awakens a feeling inside of me. One that I experienced last night. It was a longing…an attraction. I find myself in a loss for words as he stares at me, waiting for an answer. So much had gone left unsaid between us since yesterday and now this. Great way to make a good first impression. First, I'm pinned underneath his naked body, then he finds me sobbing my eyes out in the corner of a dark garage. Smooth, Gabriella.

"I'm sorry. I was looking for a place to be alone," I manage to blurt out.

"In a house full of vampires?" he asks, pushing his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. "Good luck with that."

I let a nervous laugh escape my lips. It hangs in the air between us awkwardly.

"Well, I should, ugh, get going." Jacob turns to leave the garage, obviously eager to escape this mess of a situation.

"Wait, Jacob," I call out after him, taking a few steps closer towards the door.

He stops and I notice his body stiffen as he begrudgingly says, "What." His head turns slightly to the right, allowing me only a partial glimpse of his profile.

"I don't know when I'll get the chance to speak to you alone, so I figure now is as good as any time to say this." I begin slowly, trying to formulate what I wanted to say in my mind. "I'm sorry for last night."

"Don't apologize," he gruffly says.

"Not just for the way we met," I continue. I feel warmth flood my cheeks as I remember our encounter. "But for the vampires. For bringing them here."

A silence fills the air between us. His body begins to move and I think that he's going to leave when suddenly he twists around, closing the space between us in two quick strides.

"You should be." His voice is constrained, but I can tell that it's taking everything out of him not to blow up in my face. "I told you not to apologize because I didn't wanted to hear it. But I'm glad that you realize that this is _your_ fault." His deep mahogany eyes look pitch black in the darkness, and they're filled with an intense anger. Anger that's directed at me.

I instinctively shrink away from him, but he only moves that much closer to me. At this point, I'm pressed up against Carlisle's Mercedes and have nowhere to go.

I notice that his body is visibly shaking.

"How dare you bring them here. To Renesmee. _My_ Renesmee. You've put everyone at risk by showing up."

All of my previous guilt comes back with his words. I can't blame him for saying this because he's right. No matter what Carlisle said, it is my fault that they came here. I feel the tears force their way down my face. I try to blink them back, but it's no use. Frustration builds inside of me as Jacob's words set in.

"You think I don't know that?" I practically scream back at him. He blinks in surprise, yet continues to shake. "Do you know how terrible it feels to bring this much trouble with me and yet be stuck here with nowhere to go?"

I take a breath and collect my thoughts, attempting to control my voice. In a much quieter tone, I tell him, "If I even had a shot at finding my brother and destroying those vampires somewhere else then I would take it in a heartbeat. But I don't. The only chance my brother has at surviving is with the Cullens. For his sake, I can't turn away the help they've offered."

His face hardens into a mask that I can't read. A thousand emotions flicker in his eyes, yet one lingers. It almost looks like sadness.

He begins to reach a hand out toward me, yet stops and drops it back to his side.

"I have to go," he suddenly says, turning away from me.

Before I can stop myself, my arm extends in front of me and I grasp his forearm in a split second. He immediately stops in his tracks.

Even through the leather of his jacket, I can still feel it. The electricity between us. That intense feeling.

And when he glances back at me, the look on his face tells me that he feels it too.

"I'm sorry," I say again, this time in almost a whisper. "I just…want us to be friends."

Almost as soon as the words leave my mouth, he rips his arm from my hand.

"Don't touch me again," he says, storming away from me. Something blocks him from leaving, and I realize that Renesmee is standing in the doorway of the garage.

"Are you guys okay?" she asks, a concerned look on her face.

"Ness," Jacob breathes when he sees her.

"What's happening?" She looks up at him, obviously expecting an answer.

"Nothing," he coldly replies. "Nothing at all."

He puts his arm around her shoulder as they leave. She glances back at me, a worried expression on her face.

I realize that the tears are still visible on my cheeks. Shit, I think. I quickly wipe them away with my sleeve and sink to the concrete ground again, suddenly worn out and defeated.

"God damn it!" I say, punching the floor in frustration. My knuckles chip the concrete through the sheer force of my blow. Things were not turning out the way I was expecting. But then again, when had they in these past few months?

Jacob had obviously experienced a sudden change in mood from last night. His was in a fury, upset with me.

And rightfully so. I sigh in resignation. I guess I shouldn't be surprised by his anger, but still. That feeling between us. It really all just couldn't be me. It was too strong for that. And the look he gave me when I touched his arm. I could have melted right then and there. It was so passionate, almost sultry even.

His reaction afterward crushed my hopes of us ever getting along, however. He had been so cold, so different from last night. And the way he spoke about Renesmee, calling her his. It had instigated a twinge of jealousy inside of me. But I had no right to feel like this. I was in no place to act on my feelings and it was apparent that Jacob would not reciprocate them.

From this moment on, I had to stifle the way I felt towards him. It would only result in more problems, something that I already had plenty of. I wouldn't be capable of handling that mess on top of everything else. I would not let Jacob Black push me over the edge.


End file.
